CLERMONT, Fla. – The Kutztown University softball team played to identical 7-3 games, winning one and losing another Wednesday, March 13, in Clermont Fla., on day three of its spring break trip.
 
The Golden Bears (7-8 overall) jumped all over Fairmont State early in the opener of the double-header, holding leads of 4-0 and 7-1 to win game one 7-3. Game two saw the opposite end of the spectrum for KU as it fell behind Drury 7-0, rallied for three runs in the seventh, but ran out of outs to give in dropping the nightcap 7-3 for the two-game split.
 
Kutztown has went 1-1 each of the last two days after sweeping its two games on Monday.
 
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) each had three hits on the day with the sophomore Lipowski adding two RBI. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) both finished with two hits. Keeny is now up to 18 straight games with a hit, which is tied for fourth all-time in program history. With two games to play tomorrow, she can find herself second with a hit in each one.
 
Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) recorded three RBI and Dani Nordyk (Orange, Conn./Amity) contributed two runs batted in for KU on the day.
 
Kutztown squares off against Wayne State in game one tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Game two vs. Salem will follow at 6 p.m. Both will be played at the Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont.
 
Kutztown 7, Fairmont State 3
 
Just as they did in previous wins over the last two days, the Maroon and Gold jumped out to an early lead. They scored three runs in their first at-bats and added another in the second for a 4-0 cushion through two innings.
 
After starting pitcher Ava Bottiglia (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), who went the complete game and struck out five batters, sat down the Falcons 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning, the KU offense wasted little time when it got its first chance in the batter's box.
 
Four straight hits from four consecutive batters led to two runs as Keeny, Ostaszewski and Jennings all singled to load the bases. Up stepped Lipowski who drilled a two-run double the opposite way to right field. Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) recorded an RBI groundout the following batter to push the lead to 3-0.
 
In the second, the Ostaszewski sisters accounted for a run as Emily Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan (C.C. of Philadelphia)) singled, and then with two outs, Katelyn brought her home with a hit to left field.
 
Fairmont State got onto the scoreboard with one in the top of the third. But a three-run fifth inning from the Golden Bears seemingly put this one away.
 
KU scored its three fifth-inning runs with two outs, highlighted by a two-run single from Jones.
 
The Falcons threatened, tacking on two runs in the sixth, but Bottiglia settled down and finished off the victory, her second this season as the sophomore sports a 2-1 record.
 
Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) had a hit for KU and Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) scored a run.
 
Drury 7, Kutztown 3
 
Panthers pitcher Madison Resch stifled KU batters for nearly the entire game. She was perfect through three innings and had a shutout going until the last inning. Kutztown had a season-low four hits in this one.
 
Drury scored three runs in the bottom of the second to open up the game's scoring. Keeny recorded Kutztown's first hit to leadoff the fourth inning, but the next three batters did not reach base.
 
The Panthers tacked on one run in the fifth and three in the sixth to extend their advantage to 7-0. KU was able to muster up some offensive production in its final at-bats. With one out in the seventh, Jennings doubled, followed by a single by Lipowski. Jones reached base safely in the next at-bat and picked up an RBI. Then Nordyk tied a season-high with two RBI on a two-out single to right field.
 
But Resch and Drury stopped the Kutztown rally in the next at-bat to stave off KU and hold on.