PEMBROKE, N.C. – Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) of the Kutztown University softball team had her second straight four-hit day Sunday, but KU was unable to muster a victory Sunday in its final day in Pembroke, N.C., falling to West Virginia State 13-4 in game one and then 9-4 to host UNC Pembroke in game two Sunday.
 
The Golden Bears (1-3 overall) split their two games with the same teams yesterday, coming out on the winning end against Pembroke 6-3.
 
One day after scoring six in each game, Kutztown scored four in both games.
 
Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) and Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) both had multi-hit days, finishing with two, one in each game. Lipowski also had two hits Saturday and tallied two RBI Sunday, and Auvil added one RBI Sunday.
 
Kutztown returns to action in two weeks when it plays in the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., beginning on Friday, Feb. 15.
 
Game One
 
Two defensive innings got away from Kutztown. Two it would want back.
 
West Virginia State put up four runs in its first at-bats in the top of the first inning and never looked back. KU scored a run in the bottom-half of the first, but was held scoreless until its last plate appearance, and had just five total hits.
 
In the bottom of the first, Keeny walked and then advanced two bases on two consecutive wild pitches. After a walk to Jennings, a double steal ensued in the following at-bat that gave Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) second and Keeny home.
 
After a scoreless second inning, the Yellow Jackets tacked on two runs in the third and found themselves ahead 6-1. They doubled-up their score, and then some, in the sixth, bringing around seven runs.
 
The Golden Bears would add three runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by two extra-base hits. Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) singled to right field and Lipowski connected on her first homerun of the season one batter later. Dani Nordyk (Orange, Conn./Amity) walked, followed by Auvil blasting a double to left field that put runners at second and third with nobody out. Emily Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan (C.C. of Philadelphia)) brought home Nordyk on a sacrifice bunt. But that would be the final scoring as the game ended in six.
 
Game Two
 
Once again the Maroon and Gold fell behind early.  UNC Pembroke scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Kutztown answered in the second as Auvil homered to left field, a solo shot, her second extra base hit of the day.
 
The Bravehawks answered with a run in both the third and fourth innings, while KU did the same in the final three innings. Paola Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) led off the fifth with a single and then stole second base. Two batters later, Keeny tripled to bring around Texidor. In the sixth, Lipowski doubled to right center and then was pinch-run for by Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan). Three batters later, her sister Emily brought her home on an RBI single. Then in the seventh, Keeny led off with an infield single and then stole second to put herself into scoring position. Two batters later, Nordyk brought her around on an RBI single.
 
But a late-game rally ended on a double-play.