Senior Day Photo Gallery

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team honored four senior student-athletes prior to its doubleheader with East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action Thursday afternoon at North Campus Field. All four contributed on the day, helping KU earn a split with ESU, and ending its 2018 season on a winning note as Kutztown won game two and the season finale 10-5 after falling 4-1 in game one.
 
Seniors Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View), Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) and Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering) finished their KU careers Thursday in style, all having a say in the outcomes.
 
In game two, Cholish went 2-for-3 at the plate, recording two hits in a game for the first time in her career. She also had three runs and an RBI. Tareila pinch-hit in the second inning of the nightcap and ripped an RBI single in her only at-bat of the game. Saito finished 1-for-2 in both games, and Newman added a solo home run to her career bio, the fourth this season.
 
Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) each had three hits in game two, with Oakley picking up two RBI and Lipowski one. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) and Cholish all added two hits apiece for the Golden Bears (12-26 overall, 4-10 PSAC). Keeny, Jones and Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) each added an RBI for KU. Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) had a hit on the day, and Isabel Hoch (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan (Penn State Abington)) recorded a run scored.
 
Ava Bottiglia (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) started in the circle in game two, and pitched well, going 4.1 innings and earning the victory, her sixth this season. Erin Fortney (Bedford, Nova Scotia/Bishop Macdonell (Rollins)), who started in game one, came in in relief for the final 2.2 innings, and gave up just one hit.
 
Head coach Judy Lawes and her staff can at least hang their hats on a win to end the season, and say farewell to her seniors on a positive note.
 
Over the past four seasons, the four seniors have been a part of three 30-win seasons, and have won more than 100 games in their careers. Their teams have qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament three times, and have played in the NCAA Tournament twice, winning at least one game each of the last two seasons, including playing in the Atlantic Regional semifinal in 2016.