KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sophomore Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) of the Kutztown University softball team has been enjoying hitting of late. Her 4-for-5 day at the plate featured three doubles and seven RBI, including a career-high four in game one of a two-game sweep against Felician University in non-league action Tuesday afternoon at North Campus Field.
 
The Golden Bears (17-12 overall) blasted 21 hits for 19 runs, winning the opener 9-1 and the nightcap 10-2. Both games ended in five short innings.
 
Kutztown has now won four straight games, two double header sweeps over the Golden Falcons and Millersville last Saturday, March 30. The bats remain hot as the KU offense leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in batting average (.343) runs scored (193), triples (16) runs batted in (165), total bases (413), slugging percentage (.500) and on base percentage (.398).
 
Lipowski has been on a tear all season, ranking in the top-five in the PSAC in runs batted in (3rd, 29) and doubles (5th, 9). She is 10th in slugging percentage at .647.
 
Lipowski was joined by six other Golden Bears in reaching multiple hits on the day. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) also connected for four hits, all in game two, Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) both had three hits and Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)), Dani Nordyk (Orange, Conn./Amity) and Emily Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan (C.C. of Philadelphia)) each finished with two.
 
The senior duo of Keeny and Jennings currently rank in the top-10 in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored and hits. Keeny leads the league in triples (5) and is third in runs scored (32), while Jennings ranks seventh in RBI (24).
 
Freshmen Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) and Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) picked up the victories in games one and two respectively inside the circle. Bailey now has eight wins this season, tied for second-most in the PSAC.
 
Kutztown will remain at home as it will host Shippensburg University inPSAC play on Friday, April 5, with first pitch in game one of the double header set for 2:30 p.m.
 
Kutztown 9, Felician 1
 
The Kutztown bats jumped all over the Golden Falcons pitching right away. A three-run first inning highlighted by an RBI double by Lipowski (more of that to come), and a two-run single by Jones.
 
Felician answered with a run in its following at-bats, but that would be all that Brugger would allow the remainder of the game.
 
The Maroon and Gold put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth as nine batters came to the plate, six of whom reached base safely in a five-run outburst. With the bases loaded and two outs and the score still at 3-1, Jennings ripped a base hit to center field that brought home one. The next batter Lipowski laced a double to right center on the first pitch she saw that cleared the bases and put KU ahead 7-1. Nordyk then allowed Lipowski to come home via a single down the right field line.
 
Kutztown reached the eight-run rule the following inning as Keeny hit a sacrifice fly to left field, and pinch-runner Ava Bottiglia (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) came around for the clinching run.
 
Kutztown 10, Felician 2
 
The start of game two did not go to plan as the start of game one. Felician got on the board first thanks to a walk, two doubles and a single that put the Golden Falcons in front 2-0.
 
But in the Golden Bears first at-bats, they bounced right back, to the tune of another first-inning three-spot. Keeny led off with an infield single, followed by a walk to K. Ostaszewski and an infield hit by Jennings to load the bases with nobody out. After a wild pitch brought home the first run, up stepped Lipowski with runners on second and third. She delivered once again, doubling down the left field line to give KU the lead 3-2, one that it would keep the rest of the way.
 
In the second inning, Keeny tripled home E. Ostaszewski, and then K. Ostaszewski brought home Keeny on a sacrifice fly.
 
After a scoreless third, three consecutive singles by the Ostaszewski sisters and Keeny loaded the bases with one out. Jennings and Lipowski followed up with RBI singles to the outfield for a 7-2 advantage heading to the fifth.
 
With an overcast sky and chill in the air, Kutztown wanted to end the nightcap the way it did in the opener, early. And it did just that. Nordyk led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, her third of the season. Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) then doubled in the next at-bat on a 2-1 pitch that she took into left center. Following a walk to E. Ostaszewski and a hit by Keeny, Knappenberger raced home on a wild pitch, and then two pitches later, K. Ostaszewski singled in the winning run.