WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Kutztown University softball team came out on the winning end of both of its games Thursday afternoon, defeating Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) member Indiana (Pa.) 11-3 in game one, followed by a 2-0 victory over Wayne State (Mich.) in the second game of non-conference action in Winter Haven, Florida.
 
The Golden Bears (12-6 overall) are now 8-1 on their 13-game spring break trip down south, having won their last four games.
 
Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) had four hits, four runs and an RBI in the two games. Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) had three hits apiece, with Lipowski tying a career-high with four RBI in the opener. Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and Hannah Boggs (Walnutport, Pa./Northampton) both recorded two hits in game one.
 
Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) kept her unblemished record on the year, earning the victory in the first game, going four innings, allowing just one run to move to 3-0 this season. Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) got the start inside the circle in in the nightcap and went 6.1 innings, giving up four hits and no runs for her fourth win of the year, tied for the team lead. Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), who also has four wins, came into both games in relief and earned a save in each one, going 2.2 innings in game one, before getting the final two outs of game two. She has two saves this season.
 
Kutztown is set to play two games tomorrow, Friday, March 13. KU will take on Lake Erie at 12:15 p.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m., first pitch against Purdue Northwest. Both games will be played at the Auburndale Softball Complex in Jan Phyl Village, Florida.
 
Kutztown 11, IUP 3
 
Kutztown did most of its damage at the plate in the latter part of the game, scoring nine of its 11 runs in the final three innings.
 
The Crimson Hawks (4-9) scored first in the bottom of the second with a run, but the Maroon and Gold quickly answered in their next at-bats, thanks to Brittany Hubler (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) connecting on a two-run homerun, her third of the year.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, Kutztown broke the game open with four runs, highlighted by Ostaszewski's second career homerun, an RBI double by Donato and RBI out of Lipowski and Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) as KU went ahead 6-1.
 
IUP cut its deficit in half with two runs in the bottom-half, but KU struck right back thanks to a three-run shot by Lipowski in the sixth, and then a two-run drive by Kiera Brown (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) in the seventh, her first career homerun.
 
Harvey earned the win going four innings, and Bailey picked up a save with 2.2 innings.
 
Kutztown 2, Wayne State 0
 
The game was scoreless through the first three innings of play. Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) and Boggs changed that in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Auvil singled through the left side of the infield that brought home Ostaszewski for the game's first run. And then with two outs Boggs reached on a fielder's choice three batters later that allowed Gillian Walsh (Easton, Pa./Easton) to touch home plate.
 
That would be the game's only scoring.
 
Brugger cruised along for six innings and then the Warriors put runners on at second and third with one out. Bailey entered and shut the door down for the final two outs.