PSAC Championship Central
 
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. -- After a quick 10-run, five-inning victory in its opener, the Kutztown University softball team kept its foot on the gas and pounded out 16 hits to score double-digit runs once again, defeating Bloomsburg 14-1 in five innings Wednesday evening to finish 2-0 on day one at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship from Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
The Golden Bears (35-18 overall) continue on in the winners bracket, where they'll take on West Chester on Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m.
 
While the game one win against Edinboro featured a seven-run first inning where Kutztown could go into cruise control the rest of the way, against the Huskies (30-16) it took a couple more innings, but KU still was able to put together an inning that gave it breathing room.
 
The Maroon and Gold hit around in the top of the third inning, bringing 15 batters to the plate, recording seven hits in a seven-run frame that extended their advantage from 2-0 to 9-0.
 
Katelyn Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) combined for the game's opening run in the top of the first as Ostaszewski doubled to left center, and two batters later, Lipowski singled her home. The following inning, Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) singled up the middle and brought around pinch-runner Dani Nordyk (Orange, Conn./Amity), who was running for Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) after the junior walked.
 
In the third, the first five batters reached base safely, with four coming via base hits. Lipowski, Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) and Knappenberger all singled leading off the inning, followed by a bases-clearing, three-run double by Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)). After a free pass to Kiera Brown (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area), two batters later Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) doubled to left center, bringing in another run. In their second times around, Auvil and Knappenberger once again tallied singles, both earned them an RBI each.
 
In a three-run fourth, Keeny produced the first run almost single-handedly. She singled then stole second and advanced to third after the throw went into center field. Ostaszewski followed with a double and then touched home plate one batter later when Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) ripped a home run over the center field fence, her second of the day, to cap the Maroon and Gold scoring.
 
PSAC Pitcher of the Week, freshman Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), not wanting to be outdone by her classmate Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) after her one-hit gem in game one, tossed a four-hitter allowing just an unearned run, striking out eight batters.