Tournament Central

BUCKHANNON, W. Va. – The Kutztown University softball team won its opening NCAA Tournament game Thursday on its ability to bunt. It took the lead on a squeeze-play in the second, and broke a tie with a sacrifice bunt and a throwing error to score the runner from first base as KU rolled to a 2-1 victory over Bloomsburg University at West Virginia Wesleyan's Culpepper Field.
 
The win avenged a sizeable KU loss to Bloomsburg last week at the conference championships, and sends KU to the winner's bracket tomorrow, Friday, May 12, at 10 a.m. against the winner of West Virginia Wesleyan and Charleston (WV).
 
After a three-hour rain delay, Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) took the circle and led the Golden Bears (31-15) defensively. She pitched a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed minimal runners into scoring position. She finished with eight strikeouts, allowing three hits and no earned runs in her 22nd win of the season.
 
Nierintz nearly had as many hits at the plate as she gave up. She went 2-for-3 and scored KU's opening run on a squeeze-play.
 
She opened the second with a single up the middle, was sacrificed to second by Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland), advanced to third on a wild pitch, and wasn't afraid to get the jersey dirty on the ensuing play. She pulled off a memorable slide at home plate on a bunt by Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) for a 1-0 lead (VIDEO).
 
Kutztown had a season-high five sacrifice hits, including two apiece from Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and Knappenberger. It marked KU's most in a game since March 7, 2015.
 
A high-chopper over KU's third-baseman's head in the top of the fifth broke up Nierintz's no-hitter and put a runner on with two outs. The next batter sent a shot down the left-field line that got past the outfielder to score the runner from first and tie the game at 1-1.
 
Kutztown didn't wait long to strike back for its second lead of the game. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) led off with an opposite-field single to left. Jennings dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Keeny to second, but the ensuing throw sailed past the Bloomsburg first-baseman to score a surging Keeny from first base (VIDEO).
 
Nierintz retired six of the final seven batters she faced to pull out the victory.
 
Bloomsburg pitcher Taylor Parker was tabbed with the loss, allowing four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts.