CLERMONT, Fla. – The Kutztown University softball team opened up its spring break trip on the wrong end of its first two games on day one of the NTC College Spring Games in Clermont, Florida Saturday afternoon. KU fell to Hillsdale College 5-1 in the opener, and then saw a comeback attempt fall just short, losing 6-4 to Northwood University in game two of the double header.
 
It is not the start that the Golden Bears (5-6 overall) wanted to begin a nine-game in six-day stretch down south, but KU wound up 5-5 in its 10 games last season during spring break, so there is plenty of more opportunities to pick up some victories over the next five days.
 
In game one against the Chargers (6-6), Kutztown fell behind early, 2-0 in the second, as Hillsdale scored a run in each of the first five innings, and outhit KU 10-5 to come away with the win.
 
After RBI singles in each of the first two innings for the Chargers, senior Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) added one of her own, singling home freshman Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) for her third RBI of the season. That would be the lone run of the game for KU, however, as Hillsdale used two pitchers to combine for seven innings, including Erin Hunt, who pitched the last four innings and struck out eight batters.
 
Oakley also added a base hit in her only at-bat of the game. Freshman Kristin Kaleycik (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) all had one hit for KU, with Kaleycik's a double.
 
Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and Jackie Morell (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) each struck out two batters and both gave up two earned runs, combining for seven innings of work.
 
Following a quick turnaround, Kutztown turned a 6-1 deficit after three innings, down to just two runs (6-4) in the sixth, but the Timberwolves (2-2) were able to hold on and get the final six outs for the win.
 
The Maroon and Gold would get on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning. Keeny walked and then stole second. After a sacrifice bunt from Oakley to advance Keeny to third, Jones hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Keeny for the early 1-0 lead.
 
But Northwood took control of the game in the next three innings. It tied the game at 1-all in the bottom half of the first, then added three runs in the second and two in the third to take a 6-1 advantage.
 
Kutztown began chipping away at its deficit in the following frame, when Jacqueline Walsh (Downingtown, Pa./Coatesville) scored on a throwing error by the Timberwolves second baseman, and then Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) knocked in Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) with an RBI single. In the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs, Keeny (1-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, R, 2 SB) worked her second walk of the game, which allowed Walsh (2-for-4, 2 R) to score to make it 6-4. With the tying run on second and the winning run now on first, Northwood was able to get out of the jam with a fly out in the next at-bat.
 
The Golden Bears went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the game.
 
Morell came in for relief for the second consecutive game and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out one. Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering) went 1-for-2 with a double. Northwood outhit Kutztown 10-5.
 
Keeny finished the day with two hits, one RBI and two stolen bases, giving her 73 career bases snagged, which ranks fifth all-time in program history.
 
Kutztown is back out on the field tomorrow, Sunday, with two more games. KU opens with the University of Findlay at 10 a.m., followed by a game against the University of Charleston (WV) at 2:30 p.m.