Live Video
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team is set to play nine games in a span of six days in Clermont, Fla. starting this weekend on its spring break trip. The action begins on Saturday, March 10 at 9 a.m. against Hillsdale College.
 
The Golden Bears (5-4 overall) have not played since Sunday, Feb. 18 in the SnowBird Freeze Out Tournament down in Myrtle Beach, S.C. KU finished 3-2 during that three-day tournament, with wins over West Virginia State, New Haven and fellow Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) member Mercyhurst University. The Maroon and Gold went 2-2 in their first action of the season, at the UNC Pembroke Invitational from Feb. 2-4.
 
Kutztown is led by junior outfielder Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), who holds a .452 batting average, and has team-highs in hits (14), triples (four), RBI (eight), total bases (25), slugging percentage (.806) and on-base percentage (.514). She has five stolen bases this season, giving her 70 in her career, which ranks fifth all-time in school history. The returning All-PSAC First Team honoree from 2017 was named PSAC Athlete of the Week on Feb. 19, and entered the season on the 2018 Schutt Sports National FastPitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Player of the Year "Watch List."
 
"She is just a great overall player for us," said head coach Judy Lawes. "She does a lot of good things that help the team be successful."
 
Keeny was one of eight Golden Bears to play in all nine games this season, and one of five to start every game. Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area), Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland), Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford), Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)), Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering), Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and Kristin Kaleycik (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) have all been on the field during each game, with Knappenberger, Jones, Saito and Jennings penciled into the lineup card at the start of each game thus far.
 
Jones and Lipowski have impressed Lawes early on this season as major contributors. Jones is hitting .313 and has the team-lead in doubles (4), while also tallying three RBI and a .438 slugging percentage. The freshman Lipowski has a .440 batting average, which ranks third on KU, and is also second on the team behind Keeny in hits (11), RBI (seven), total bases (17) and slugging percentage (.680).
 
Inside the circle, the 'pitching-by-committee' phrase that Lawes said she would be using before the start of the season, has played itself out through the first nine games. Five different Golden Bears have taken the ball, compared to just four all of last season.
 
Junior Jackie Morell (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem), who earned PSAC Pitcher of the Week honors the same day that Keeny won Athlete of the Week (2/19), boasts a 1-1 record and 0.82 ERA. In 17.0 innings of work this season, she has struck out six batters and surrendered just two earned runs and one walk. Morell pitched a complete-game in KU's extra-inning victory over Mercyhurst at the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament on Feb. 17, going eight innings and giving up just one earned run. Her 0.82 ERA ranks third in the PSAC and she holds a career record of 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA.
 
Ava Bottiglia (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) holds an unbeaten 2-0 record in two starts, with a 2.80 ERA in 15 innings of work. Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) also has two wins under her belt, and has made the most appearances of the staff with five, making three starts. Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) and Erin Fortney (Bedford, Nova Scotia/Bishop Macdonell (Rollins)) have both made at least one start, and round out the pitching staff for KU.
 
With the home opener (3/22) just one week after Kutztown returns from its spring break trip, and the conference opener one week after that, Lawes is using these nine games to get a better feel for her entire roster.
 
"We want to be put in a bunch of different game situations, and see how the players react," said Lawes. "We have a young team, so I want to see them not only get better on the field, but mentally stronger as well."
 
Live video will be available via the link above, which is also accessible on www.kubears.com.