KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team won game one against Shepherd University Saturday, 8-2, extending its win streak to 13 games. But KU's run ended there as it dropped game two 10-2 in five innings in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division showdown of two of the top three teams in the division Saturday at North Campus Field.
 
Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) each finished with two hits on the day. The Golden Bears (16-4 overall, 13-3 PSAC) jumped on top of the Rams (15-4, 11-3) in game one, scoring twice in both the bottom of the first and third innings, and taking control of the game with a four-run fourth inning.
 
Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) (9-0) won her conference leading ninth game this season, going the distance, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out three batters.
 
Shepherd regrouped in game two and outhit Kutztown 13-3 and using a five-run top of the third inning to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Maroon and Gold. Rams starter Hannah Ruffner stymied the KU bats, throwing all five innings, allowing just the three hits and gave up only two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when the game was already decided.
 
Kutztown has the week off and will return to the field against Mansfield University on Friday, April 2, at Mansfield. Game one is set for 2:30 p.m.
 
Kutztown 8, Shepherd 2
 
Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) ripped the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the first inning over the left field fence that gave Kutztown a 2-0 advantage. Shepherd answered back with a run in both the second and third innings to tie the score at 2-2.
 
Freshman Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) had a two-run single down the left field line in the third, to give her team the lead back. And then in the fourth, classmate Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) singled up the middle bringing home Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township), and Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) capped the scoring with a three-run triple to right field.
 
Shepherd 10, Kutztown 2
 
Shepherd scored 10 runs in the first five innings and used the arm of Ruffner to slow Kutztown's hot bats.
 
KU's lone runs came in its final at-bats in the fifth as Auvil doubled to right center field, scoring Mya Zettlemoyer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) and Gillian Walsh (Easton, Pa./Easton). But the Rams stopped the potential comeback there, recording the final out on a groundout.