SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team was on the wrong end of both of its games Thursday at Shippensburg University, dropping game one 4-3 before falling in the night cap 4-1 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup of the second and third place teams in the East Division, and two of the top-seven teams in the Atlantic Region.
 
The Golden Bears (29-16 overall, 6-6 PSAC) entered play Thursday one game (two wins) ahead of the Raiders (21-17, 6-4) in the East standings and one spot in front of them in the first edition of the regional rankings (six and seven).
 
The KU offense, which were at the top of the conference in several statistical categories, was held to just four runs and 10 hits all day. Not that Shippensburg (eight runs and 15 hits) had a field day at the plate, but a couple of timely hits led to a multi-run inning in each game that took control of each game. Ship scored seven of its eight runs on the day in just two innings, a four-run fifth in game one and a three-run fourth in game two.
 
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) finished with three hits Thursday, and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) also had a multi-hit day for the Maroon and Gold. The sophomore also recorded three RBI. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) tallied a hit and two runs scored, and Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)), Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland), Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) each contributed a hit for KU.
 
Freshman pitcher Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) posted six strikeouts in 7.2 innings across the two-game set.
 
Kutztown is schedule to host Millersville University this Saturday, April 20, for senior day on North Campus Field beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Shippensburg 4, Kutztown 3
 
The day started off on the right foot for Kutztown. The lineup brought seven batters to the plate and scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Keeny led off with a walk and then advanced to third two batters later on a single by Jennings. After a Jennings steal, Lipowski ripped a hit up the middle to center field to put the first run on the scoreboard. Pinch-runner Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) pinch-ran and stole second on the very first pitch. Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) brought home Jennings on a sacrifice fly to right field and a 2-0 advantage before it even hit the field.
 
Bailey cruised the first couple of innings, sitting down nine of the first 10 Raiders batters.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, she ran into trouble with back-to-back hits to lead off the frame. A single and a double put runners on at second and third and nobody out. But the freshman got the next three outs to preserve the shutout.
 
That is until Ship's fifth inning. Eight batters stepped into the box, five reaching safely in a four-run inning.
 
The Golden Bears got one back in the sixth and it started with the senior duo of Keeny and Jennings. Keeny walked and then advanced to third on a double by Jennings. Lipowski, looking for one big swing to take the lead back, settled for a sacrifice fly to right field that cut the KU deficit to 4-3.
 
But that would be the final run of the game for either team.
 
Shippensburg 4, Kutztown 1
 
Both teams got good, early performances out of their starting pitchers as Brugger and Tressa Kagarise both had shutouts going through three innings of play.
 
Once again for Shippensburg, it had one big scoring inning, and that came in the fourth. Back-to-back hits to lead off the fourth allowed Ship to have runners at second and third with no outs. Brugger then had the bases loaded with one out and got the groundball she wanted, but the play could only be made at first base as the Raiders took the eagle lead.
 
Kutztown's lone run came in the fifth when Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) scored on another RBI hit out of Lipowski.
 
After the Raiders got the run back in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead, Bailey came in to relive Brugger in the circle and held them without a run the final 1.1 innings.