Championship Central
 
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – For the first time in four games the Kutztown offense faced some struggles at the plate against a strong pitcher. KU finished with five hits and struck out a season-high 13 times in losing 2-1 to Lock Haven Friday morning in eight innings of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) softball championship winner's bracket final.
 
The Golden Bears (36-19 overall) will await the winner of West Chester and Gannon (12:30 p.m. start) in the loser's bracket final, with a chance at playing for the PSAC championship on Saturday.
 
Through the first three games of the tournament, Kutztown scored 32 runs and had 39 hits, but the Bald Eagles' starting pitcher Bekah Slattery, who leads the conference in wins, strikeouts and ERA, stymied the Maroon and Gold bats for a majority of the game.
 
After three scoreless innings, both teams got on the board in the fourth.
 
Following a Lock Haven run in the top of the fourth inning, KU got on the board.
 
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) was hit by a pitch with one out and later stole second. After a walk to Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point), Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) hit a single over the third baseman's head and into left field that allowed Jennings to come home to tie the score.
 
Freshman pitcher Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), who is second in the PSAC in wins and third in strikeouts, sat down nine-of-10 batters from the fifth-through-seventh innings. She gave up five hits and two runs, striking out nine in eight innings of work.
 
Slattery helped herself out in the top of the eighth, hitting a long home run over the center field wall to break the 1-1 deadlock.
 
The Golden Bears battled in the eighth, however, bringing five batters to the plate. With runners on first and second with one out, Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) hit a grounder to the right side that allowed the runners to advance. However, with the tying run on third and go-ahead run at second, Slattery recorded her 13th strikeout of the game to end it.
 
Kutztown is still one of a final three teams left playing for the PSAC softball championship.