WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team's longest win streak since the middle of the 2017 season reached 10, but it was unable to get it to 11, as KU went one-for-two in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) double header Saturday at West Chester University in a matchup of the PSAC East Division's top-two teams.
 
The Golden Bears (27-14 overall, 6-4 PSAC) were looking to return the favor against the Golden Rams (26-15, 7-3), who won both games at North Campus Field back on March 29. KU won the opener 9-5 and had a sweep on its mind, but West Chester pitching gave it a lift, allowing just five hits, two through five innings, in taking the night cap 2-0 to earn a split.
 
Kutztown's 27 wins leads the conference, one more than West Chester and five more than the next closest teams, Bloomsburg and Seton Hill, who each have 22.
 
The Golden Bears and the Golden Rams are one-two in the PSAC in multiple categories, including runs (272-221), hits (397-343) and triples (19-14). The two offenses were trading blows in game one and combined for 22 hits and 14 runs. The 14 Kutztown hits tied a season-high. In game two, pitching was at the forefront, as the teams collected just 12 hits and two runs total.
 
Senior Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) had a four-hit day, while classmate Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and freshman Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) both finished with three hits. Jones had two runs scored and an RBI, Ostaszewski tallied a run and an RBI and Keeny scored a run. Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy), Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) and Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) all had two hits on the day. Knappenberger tied a career-high with three RBI in game one and added two runs. Auvil posted an RBI and a run scored.
 
Freshman pitcher Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) earned the victory in the circle in game one, coming on in relief in the fourth inning and allowed just one hit, giving up zero runs.
 
Kutztown will face Jefferson University in a non-conference double header tomorrow, Sunday, April 14, in Philadelphia, beginning at noon.
 
Kutztown 9, West Chester 5
 
Kutztown jumped on top early, scoring twice in its first at-bats, with a little help from West Chester. Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) reached on a throwing error by the second baseman, which allowed Keeny to come home. Then Ostaszewski raced home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
 
The Golden Rams tied the score at two with a run in each of their first two innings at the plate.
 
In the top of the fourth, one swing of the bat put KU back out in front. Knappenberger took a 2-1 pitch and crushed it down the left field line and over the wall for a three-run home run, her second of the season and second against West Chester.
 
But West Chester once again tied up the game with a three-run inning of its own in the bottom-half of the fourth.
 
Long ball continued to be the theme for KU, and in the fifth, Auvil and Jones both hit solo shots within two batters of each other. Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) contributed a run-scoring single to push the KU lead to 8-5. And in the seventh, Ostaszewski walked, bringing home Paola Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) to cap the Maroon and Gold scoring and run the win streak to 10.
 
Emily Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan (C.C. of Philadelphia)) added a hit.
 
West Chester 2, Kutztown 0
 
After a blazing first game in the batters box, the Kutztown bats were stifled by West Chester's starting pitcher Reilly Gearhart, who gave up just one hit through five innings.
 
The Golden Bears only had a runner reach third base once all game and did not threaten more than that.
 
Jennings recorded a double, and Lipowski, Jones, Auvil and K. Ostaszewski all had singles for KU.