KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team has earned its second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season. KU is the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Region and looks ahead to a first-round matchup against No. 6 Bloomsburg University on Thursday, May 11, at 12 p.m. at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
 
The regional is setup as a double-elimination bracket, with the winner of each of the two Atlantic Region sites moving on to the Super Regionals on May 18-19 for a best-of-3 series. The winner – the Atlantic Region Champion – will move on to Salem, Va. to the NCAA National Championships beginning on May 24.
 
NCAAs is a familiar place for the two storied PSAC programs. KU (30-15) is making its 18th all-time appearance – all coming in the last 24 years – while Bloomsburg (31-18) also makes its second-straight NCAA appearance in its 34th all-time tournament.
 
Kutztown and Bloomsburg do not have a recent history during the regular season, but their postseason encounter at last week's conference championships is certainly fresh on the minds of both teams. The Huskies jumped out early and often in a 16-0, five-inning victory – KU's worst loss in nearly a decade.
 
The Golden Bears have been afforded the opportunity at a rematch with the Huskies in the opening round of yet another double-elimination tournament.
 
Also playing in Buckhannon, W. Va., West Virginia Wesleyan is the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region and will host one of the two four-team regional sites. It will play No. 7 Charleston on Thursday in first-round action.
 
Both teams enter with recent accolades from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). For Kutztown, senior pitcher Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) was tabbed the Eastern Division's Pitcher of the Year, while 30-year head coach Judy Lawes was named the East's Coach of the Year. In the Central Division, Bloomsburg pitcher/utility player Taylor Parker was named the Athlete of the Year, and Mallory Tomaschik was named Pitcher of the Year.
 
Nierintz and Parker faced off in the first meeting this season. Parker threw a two-hit shutout in the win while Nierintz was chased in the second inning. It was far from a typical outing for Nierintz, who enters the NCAA Tournament ranked among the top-two in the PSAC in wins (21), ERA (1.67) and strikeouts (172).
 
While Bloomsburg has the stronger 1-2 punch in its rotation, Kutztown's ace has proven that with six shutouts this season, and two wins against the top-seed in the region (West Chester), she has the ability to be lights-out.
 
Offensively, Kutztown's speed atop the lineup can only be matched by a few teams in the country. Leadoff hitter Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) is a two-time All-PSAC East selection as a sophomore. Along with batting a team-high .403, she has stolen a career-high 35 bases.
 
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) has rotated between the second and third spots in the lineup and is hitting .301 with 11 doubles.
 
The power from KU's lineup this year has come from its All-PSAC catcher Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford). She is hitting .397 this year with 15 doubles and a team-leading 26 RBI. She has three homers and is slugging .574 in the cleanup position.
 
Defensively, Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) has proven to be among the best in the league at multiple positions – primarily center field and more recently shortstop this season – while fellow middle-infielder Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering) has rarely missed a start through her first three years due to stellar play in the field.
 
Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) has given KU a strong glove at first base. Freshman Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) has thrived defensively at the hot corner this year as a full-time starter.
 
Behind Nierintz in the circle, Newman and freshman Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) have seen time throughout the year. Sophomore Jackie Morell (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) has appeared as well.
 
The winner of the opening game will play on Friday, May 12, at 10 a.m. against the winner of Wesleyan and Charleston. The loser of game one will play on Friday at 12:30 p.m. in an elimination game against the loser of Wesleyan-Charleston.