KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Junior pitcher Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) earned a victory and a save inside the circle and senior catcher Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) had four hits and four runs batted in, including the game-winner in game one, as the Kutztown University softball team took two from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division action Saturday afternoon at North Campus Field. Game one was 1-0 in 10 innings, while game two went in favor of KU 9-5.
 
The Golden Bears (7-3 overall, 6-2 PSAC) have now won four games in-a-row and seven of their last eight. Due to postponements for different reasons, Saturday was the first time they were on the field in eight days, since sweeping Lock Haven back on Friday, March 12.
 
The victories also bring head coach Judy Lawes to within one win of 1,000 for her career. She will look to accomplish that feat when the two teams return to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 21, for two games at Bloomsburg, beginning at noon.
 
The battery of Bailey and Auvil made sure Kutztown left its home field victorious twice. Bailey (4-0) went the distance, throwing a career-high 10 innings in game one, allowing five hits, striking out two for the complete game shutout. She then entered game two in the fifth inning and worked out of a bases loaded jam, throwing 2.1 innings to earn the save for Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union). It was Bailey's eighth career save, tying her for the program record. Auvil came to the plate with runners on third and first in the bottom of the tenth and recorded a sacrifice fly that brought home the game's only run. She then went 4-for-4 at the dish in the nightcap, collecting three RBI and scoring a run.
 
Freshman Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) finished the day with three hits, including three RBI in game two, starting both games in right field. Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) each totaled two hits on the day, with Hughes tallying an RBI.
 
Kutztown 1, Bloomsburg 0 (10 innings)
 
The Huskies collected a hit in each of the first two innings, but then Bailey settled in, sitting them down in order each of the next three innings. There were only two innings where Bloomsburg had a runner on second base, none reaching third.
 
The teams combined for 10 hits through nine innings, neither able to record that all-important run-scoring knock.
 
Reaching the 10th inning puts a runner at second base to start each frame.
 
After a Huskies foul out in the top of the 10th, the Golden Bears came up with an important play to strand the runner at second as Hughes caught a flyball out for the second out, and, after the Bloomsburg runner tagged up to go to the third, a check on the tag led to an early exit and third out.
 
Paola Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) began on second in the bottom-half for KU. Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) led off with a single down the left field line. Auvil then took a 1-1 pitch to right field, which allowed Texidor to tag up and cross home plate for the winning run.
 
Bailey's four wins on the season is tied for second-most in the PSAC
 
Kutztown 9, Bloomsburg 5
 
The bats woke up for both teams as each finished with at least 11 hits, combining for 23 total.
 
After a scoreless opening frame, Kutztown got on the scoreboard with a six-run bottom of the second inning. KU batted around, bringing 10 batters to the plate and collecting six hits. Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) led off with a walk, followed by a single from Maddie Fraley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton). Harvey then helped herself out by doubling in Donato to score the game's first run. Reimel then singled home Fraley for a 2-0 lead. Following back-to-back outs, Auvil, Hughes and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) ripped RBI doubles to extend the advantage to 6-0.
 
Harvey got out of the third unscathed, but got into some trouble in the fourth, allowing four runs. Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) came into the game in relief to start the fifth inning, but allowed a run and two hits before Lawes turned to Bailey to get the Maroon and Gold out of trouble.
 
Reimel doubled in two runs in the fifth to add insurance and increase KU's lead to 8-5. Kutztown capped its scoring in the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Auvil.
 
Harvey (2-1) earned her second victory of the season, while Bailey earned her first save.