KUTZTOWN, Pa. – For the first time in at least the last 20 seasons, the Kutztown University softball team hit four triples in a single game and tied a season-high with 13 runs in defeating Franklin Pierce 13-0 in five innings of game two Monday afternoon to take one-of-two non-conference games at North Campus Field in the 2019 home opener.
 
The Golden Bears' (11-10 overall) bats bounced back from a 3-1 defeat in eight innings at the hands of the Ravens (4-10) in the opening game, where KU's offense accounted for just five hits and one run. But it more than doubled its hits total, collecting 12 hits to score 13 runs and end the afternoon early in five innings.
 
The Maroon and Gold offense, in total, recorded six extra-base hits (two doubles, four triples), the most since April 13, 2018 at East Stroudsburg when they also had six. The four triples were the most in a single game in over 20 years.
 
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy), Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)), Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) and Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) were a part of the quartet that reached third base following one swing of the bat. Freshman Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) threw the full five innings, allowing zero runs, to earn her third win of the season and improve her record to 3-3 overall.
 
After a 7-3 Florida spring-break trip, which concluded last Friday, Kutztown will get some rest as it has a week off before traveling to take on Nyack in a double header next Monday, March 25, with game on beginning at 2 p.m.
 
Kutztown 13, Franklin Pierce 0
 
Along with their triples, Jennings, Jones and Knappenberger each tallied two hits. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) joined in on the two-hit party to highlight a Kutztown offense which saw seven in its lineup pick up at least one hit as 10 of the 13 runs came via an RBI. Knappenberger led the way with three runs batted in, followed by two each from Jones, Auvil and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area). Jennings rounded out the group with one.
 
Kutztown jumped ahead early in this one. Before a blink of an eye it was 13-0 as the first three innings brought home the 13 runs.
 
There were five hits in the bottom of the first and seven runners reached base as the Golden Bears batted around.
 
Keeny led off with a double, but remained at second after two straight outs. Lipowski made sure she would not be left stranded, singling up the middle to give Kutztown the opening run of the game. Auvil then ripped the first of two triples in the inning that both kissed the right field foul line and remained fair. The latter, by Knappenberger, came following a Jones single, and brought around two runs. The junior then came around the next at-bat after a dropped strike three went past the catcher and allowed KU to reach first safely.
 
The bottom of the second inning saw four KU hits and the first three batters reaching base. Ostaszewski led off with a single and then scored on Jennings' triple. After Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, she stole second, and on the catcher's throw, Jennings came home as the duo performed a double-steal for another KU run. Two batters later, with two outs, Jones tripled and Knappenberger doubled, and all of a sudden it was a double-digit lead at 10-0 after two.
 
The Maroon and Gold made sure of a shortened win in their next time in the batters box, with three consecutive singles from Keeny, Ostaszewski and Jennings that highlighted a three-run inning, the last scoring of the game for Kutztown.
 
The starting pitcher Brugger, staked to a comfortable lead for all but her first inning, sat down Franklin Pierce 1-2-3 in the fifth and KU could celebrate the win.
 
Franklin Pierce 3, Kutztown 1
 
After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, Kutztown was on the board first with a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Jennings that allowed Keeny to come home.
 
But that would be the lone run of the game for the Maroon and Gold.
 
The Ravens scored in their next at-bats to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth, where the score would remain through the first seven innings, as the two teams would decide game one in extra innings.
 
In non-conference play, once the game hits the eighth inning, a runner starts at second base. Franklin Pierce took advantage of the rule and singled home the runner in its first at-bat. Two batters later, a double gave the Ravens a two-run lead, one it would hold onto as Kutztown ironically recorded three outs in just two-at bats (a groundout, followed by a double-play liner).