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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team begins Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play on the road this weekend after a 15-day layoff since its last game, back on Mar. 15 in Clermont, Fla.
The Golden Bears (11-8 overall) travel to West Chester University tomorrow, Friday, Mar. 30 for a PSAC doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The following day, Saturday, KU is at Shippensburg, with a game one first pitch set for 1 p.m.
After a 6-4 spring break trip that ended with a sweep of PSAC opponent Clarion on Mar. 15, Kutztown had its next scheduled game day (Mar. 22 vs. Chestnut Hill) postponed due to snow. So when KU takes on the Golden Rams (15-8) Friday, it will be 15 days since last playing.
The Maroon and Gold have won their last five games and six of their last seven overall. Four different starting pitchers have recorded victories over that stretch, including three by sophomore
Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and one each from
Ava Bottiglia (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin),
Erin Fortney (Bedford, Nova Scotia/Bishop Macdonell (Rollins)) and
Jackie Morell (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem). Dilal (5-3) has appeared in nine games, making seven starts, and thrown a team-high 45 innings. Her five wins is third in the conference. Bottiglia (3-1) has appeared in five games, and Morell (2-1) holds a team-best 1.29 ERA, which ranks sixth in the PSAC.
In the batters box, junior
Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) is at or near the top of almost every category. She leads the team in batting average (.417), hits (25), runs scored (16), triples (4), walks (6), on-base percentage (.486) and stolen bases (13), and is second in RBI (12) and doubles (4).
Keeny, along with classmate
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy), form a dangerous 1-2 duo on the base paths. The juniors, who hit at the top of the lineup, have combined for 30 runs, and each rank in the top-10 in the PSAC in runs scored. Keeny is sixth (16) and Jennings is 10th (14). Jennings is currently on a three-game hit streak and has reached base successfully in seven straight games.
Freshman
Kristin Kaleycik (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) has been a force during the first half of her first collegiate season. She is hitting .318 and leads KU with 13 RBI. Kaleycik has recorded multi-hit games in three of the last five overall.
Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) and
Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) have both hit over .300 so far this season, with Jones hitting .310 and Tareila at .304.
Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) is also fifth in the PSAC in doubles with six.
West Chester, the defending PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region champions, split a doubleheader with Shepherd University on Tuesday, Mar. 27. The Golden Rams lineup is led by Cat Hammer, who is hitting .417 and is second in the league in hits (30) and third in RBI (20). In the circle, Amanda Houck is in the top-five in the PSAC in ERA (1.27), wins (9), innings (78) and strikeouts (62).
Like Kutztown, Shippensburg (11-7) has had an extended break since its last game. The Raiders are coming off a doubleheader sweep of the University of the Sciences on Sunday, Mar. 18. At the top of the lineup is Kayla Bonawitz, a sophomore outfielder hitting .525 and leading the PSAC with 31 hits. The Ship pitching staff is led by PSAC wins leader Taryn Wilson, who is 9-5 with a 4.20 ERA.
Kutztown looks to begin PSAC play on a high note this weekend.
