Championship Central
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team enters the 2021 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Division. In a different format from years past, KU will host the No. 4 seed, East Stroudsburg University, for a best-of-three, quarterfinal round series, beginning on Wednesday, May 5. Game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., at North Campus Field.
 
Live stats and live video will be provided. Fans wanting to attend the series must wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times, remain with their family or group and adhere to social distancing guidelines. For the full Kutztown University spectator policy, click here.
 
This season, there were changes made to the format of the PSAC Softball Tournament. The top four teams in each division make the tournament and matchups between the teams will be within the division until the championship series. The host institutions for the quarterfinals and the semifinals will be the higher seed, while the championship host site will be the representative from the east division. Every series will be a best of three series.
 
The Golden Bears (29-11 overall, 23-9 PSAC) and Warriors (26-12, 17-11) played on April 16-17, and split the season series, 2-2, with both team's earning wins on their home field. In KU's doubleheader sweep over ESU that Saturday, starting pitchers Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) and Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) both earned complete-game victories, halting a five-game PSAC losing streak for their team. The Maroon and Gold lineup received contributions from their two-through-four hitters. Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) finished with three hits on the day, including a two-run, homerun in the bottom of the first inning of the opener. Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) had two hits in game one, also adding a long ball, a three-run HR. Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) tallied two hits in the two games as well, and scored two runs.
 
Both teams are playing well at the right time and will also be well rested. Kutztown enters the game on a five-game win streak and has gone 8-2 its last 10 games overall. KU has not played since a two-game sweep at Mansfield on April 26. East Stroudsburg comes to North Campus Field winners in 13 of its last 17 contests, including a sweep of Lock Haven in its last competition on April 27.
 
Kutztown is hitting .318 as a team, which is tied for fifth in the conference, while East Stroudsburg is batting .314, good for seventh. Lipowski is the team-leader in most offensive categories, batting .426 (46-for-108) with 12 HRs and 43 RBIs. She also ranks in the top-10 in the PSAC in slugging percentage (.824) and on-base percentage (.546). Hughes ranks second in runs (42) and eighth in RBIs (35). Auvil leads the conference with 15 doubles. Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) is hitting .326 and ranks second in doubles (14) and eighth in runs (34).
 
Inside the circle, Harvey is 9-6 overall with a 3.50 ERA and a team-leading 55 strikeouts in 102 innings pitched, which is sixth-most in the PSAC. Brugger is 10-4 with a 3.90 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 88 innings. Her 10 victories is tied for seventh-most in the conference. Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), who is unable to pitch in the postseason due to injury, finished her junior season 10-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 76.2 innings. ESU's Marah Range leads the league with 14 wins and ranks second in strikeouts (103) and third in innings pitched (109.1).
 
If KU and ESU split the doubleheader, the teams will play each other on Thursday in the rubber match at 1:00 p.m. The winner of the best-of-three series will face the winner of the No. 2 Shepherd vs. No. 3 West Chester series in the PSAC semifinal round, beginning on Sunday, May 9, at the home field of highest remaining seed.