MANSFIELD, Pa. – Senior Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) and freshman Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) combined for nine runs batted in as the Kutztown University softball team had 23 hits in a two-game sweep at Mansfield University Monday afternoon in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division regular season finale.
 
The Golden Bears (29-11 overall, 23-9 PSAC) are surging at the right time, winners of five straight games and six of their last seven overall. The next time they step on the diamond will be in the PSAC Tournament next Wednesday, May 5. The format this season is the top-four teams from the East and West Divisions play in a best-of-three series on the campus of the higher seed. KU is currently the top seed in the East, but has four games in hand over the second seed, Shepherd (24-9, 20-8). Kutztown clinched at least a top-two seed and will host the PSAC Quarterfinals on May 5. The opponent is TBD, but will be either East Stroudsburg, West Chester or Shippensburg.
 
Lipowski was a regular on the base paths Monday, finishing 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and six RBIs. Her go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning in game two proved to be the winner, breaking a 3-3 deadlock after the Mounties (3-24, 3-24) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. It was Lipowski's second long ball of the day. Lipowski is second in the PSAC with 43 RBIs and tied for third with 12 home runs.
 
Hughes also homered and doubled Monday and went 3-for-6 with three runs and three RBIs. Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) and Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) both had four hits, two in each game. Donato tallied two RBIs and Reimel scored two runs, while tripling twice, a season-high. Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) both finished with two hits.
 
Harvey started game one inside the circle and did not allow an earned run, striking out four and giving up just five hits to record her ninth win this season. Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) threw game two and allowed two earned runs and struck out a career-high 10 batters for her 10th victory of the year, tied for third-most in the PSAC.
 
The Maroon and Gold offense put together back-to-back four-run innings in the fifth and sixth innings to take control of the opener. KU fell behind 1-0 in the third and then 2-1 in the fourth of the nightcap, but scored twice in the top of the sixth thanks to a run-scoring single by Harvey and an RBI sacrifice fly by Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) to give KU a 3-2 lead. Mansfield got one back in the bottom-half before Lipowski ripped a home run over the right center field wall to break the tie.
 
Kutztown will have this weekend off and will watch and wait to see its first opponent in the PSAC quarterfinal round on May 5.