KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University softball came up with timely hitting late in game two to prevent a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Bloomsburg University and instead walked off North Campus Field Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader split, taking game two, 3-2, after falling in game one, 5-1, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division action.
 
The Golden Bears (27-11 overall, 6-2 PSAC) won three-of-four PSAC games against the Huskies and Mansfield this weekend, winning both over the Mounties Friday, April 15.
 
Kutztown was outhit by Bloomsburg (17-15, 3-5) 22-9 over the course of the two games and struggled with runners in scoring position for a majority of the day. But in the fifth inning of game two, back-to-back-to-back doubles by Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point), Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) broke a 1-1 tie and gave KU its first lead of the day, one which it had to hang on to late. Starting pitcher, Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union), got on the final six outs and allowed just two runs to win for the fifth time this season and prevent a sweep on North Campus Field.
 
Ostaszewski, Lipowski and Auvil each finished with two hits to lead the KU lineup. Ostaszewski tallied two RBIs and Lipowski had one for KU.
 
Kutztown will return to the field next Friday, April 22, when it travels to W.Va., to take on Shepherd for two games, beginning at 1 p.m. KU will remain on the road for a doubleheader at Millersville the following day.
 
Bloomsburg 5, Kutztown 1
 
Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), who leads the PSAC in wins (14) and strikeouts (102), had a tough time getting the Huskies out. Bloomsburg worked counts and had an aggressive style at the plate one-through-nine in the lineup.
 
The Huskies opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third as a two-out double to right center field broke the scoreless game.
 
Kutztown answered in the fourth, also with two outs, as pinch runner, Aysha Gibbs (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal), came home after a fielding error by the Bloomsburg shortstop to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Bailey retired six of the next seven batters and was looking to get through the seventh to allow her team to walk off. But the Huskies had another idea. They sent eight batters to the plate and recorded five hits to tack on four runs and win the opener.
 
Kutztown 3, Bloomsburg 2
 
Kutztown needed to answer. It had not been swept on its home field since April 9, 2021.
 
The one-through-four batters in the Maroon and Gold lineup combined for all five hits.
 
After Bloomsburg once again scored the opening run in the top of the third, Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) ripped a two-out triple the opposite way down the left field line. Two batters later, she came around to score on a run-scoring single by Ostaszewski to tie the game.
 
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Auvil began a streak of three consecutive doubles, followed by Ostaszewski and Lipowski, and KU finally had some momentum, and a lead, going ahead 3-1.
 
The Huskies cut their deficit in half with a run in the sixth via a one-out double and then a sacrifice fly two batters later. But Harvey shut down the door and got the final four outs of the game without allowing another run.

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