MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team put itself in too big of a hole in each game, falling in a season-opening doubleheader at Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Millersville University Friday afternoon at Seaber Stadium.
 
The Golden Bears (0-2 overall, 0-2 PSAC) had a slow start to their 2021 campaign, dropping the first game to the Marauders 14-10 and then losing 10-6 in game two. In both games, KU was forced to dig out of too deep of a hole and its comeback efforts fell short.
 
Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) had a six-hit day, also recording two RBI and four runs scored. Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) finished with two hits on the day and set a new career-high with five RBI in game one. Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) tallied three hits, two runs and two RBI, and both Brittany Hubler (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) concluded their days with two hits.
 
Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) struck out nine batters in 6.1 innings of the night cap.
 
Kutztown and Millersville continue their PSAC clash at Seaber Stadium for two games tomorrow, Saturday, March 6, beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Millersville 14, Kutztown 10
 
Kutztown put itself in a hole early, trailing 7-0 in the fourth inning, but 10 runs in three consecutive innings allowed itself to have a puncher's chance. Down 12-10 in the bottom of the sixth, KU had runners on second and third with two outs, but was unable to bring the runners home.
 
A two-run Marauders homerun in the top-half of the seventh sealed the game.
 
Millersville had five hits over the course of the first three innings compared to zero for the Golden Bears. The Marauders used their heavy hitters to connect on a double in the second inning and two homeruns in the third, jumping to its seven-run advantage.
 
Kutztown's bats woke up in the middle innings, recording back-to-back four-run frames in the bottom-half of the fourth and fifth. Lipowski had an RBI single in the fourth, Donato ripped a three-run homerun over the left centerfield fence, the 12th of her career, and Hubler tallied a pinch-hit, run-scoring double to right center as the Maroon and Gold cut their deficit to 12-8. Donato walked and Hughes stole home to help pull their team to within just two at 12-10.
 
Donato finished with a career-high five RBI. Auvil and Lipowski each had two hits to lead KU, and Hughes scored three runs.
 
Millersville 10, Kutztown 6
 
Just like in the opener, Kutztown fell behind early. Even before it could take its first licks at the plate, KU was in an 8-0 deficit.
 
Auvil had half of her team's hits, finishing 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
 
Millersville brought 10 batters to the plate before it was all said and done and eight runs crossed home plate. KU chipped away then with a two-run double by Hughes in the bottom of the first and an Alyssa Oakley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) run in the second. The senior scored after working a walk, stealing second and coming around on a Marauders' error.
 
Auvil hit her fifth career homerun, a two-run shot in the sixth. Lipowski connected on her 15th longball of her career in the seventh to cap the KU scoring.
 
Bailey entered the game in the first inning and threw the final 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out nine.