SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) twirled a three-hit shutout in game one of Kutztown's PSAC East softball doubleheader at Shepherd Friday afternoon. The 25th-ranked Golden Bears tried to back up their 5-0 opening game victory in the nightcap, but fell victim to a walk-off double in a 2-1 game two loss to the Rams.
GAME 1
#25 Kutztown 5, Shepherd 0
Kutztown had a big week, moving into the national rankings and topping the initial NCAA Atlantic Region rankings.
Judy Lawes' club was intent on justifying both those accolades.
Bailey worked around a pair of walks to get out of the first unscathed, but got stronger the deeper the game went and her offense provided support along the way.
Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan),
Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) and
Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) drew consecutive two-out walks in the top of the first, but the Bears came away without a run against Shepherd starter Katie Laing.
That wouldn't be the case in the second, however, when Ostaszewski stepped up with a pair of runners in scoring position and two down. The senior from Philadelphia singled down the right field line, scoring
Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) for an early 2-0 lead.
Bailey came back firing in the second, striking out the side to start a run of three straight innings where she faced the minimum number of batters. Kutztown added to its lead in the fourth when Texidor and Stocklin picked up two-out singles and executed a perfect double steal for a 3-0 edge.
The Bears tacked on another run in the sixth with
Hannah Auvil's (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) RBI single and finished the scoring in the seventh with a bunt single out in front of the plate that
Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) beat allowing
Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) to race home from third.
Stocklin registered a team-high three hits (3-for-4), Texidor went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and Hughes accounted for the Maroon and Gold's only extra base hit with her seventh-inning double. Bailey was in command most of the way, allowing just three hits and striking out seven to improve to 15-5 on the season.
Laing went the distance for the Rams, giving up three earned runs on 10 hits and walking four.
GAME 2
Shepherd 2, #25 Kutztown 1
Kutztown's
Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) and Shepherd's Hannah Ruffner went back and forth in a pitcher's duel during game two, but the Rams would ultimately salvage a split on Tori Seymour's walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh.
Neither team broke into the scoring column over the first four innings, with Harvey actually carrying a perfect game into the fifth.
Cameron Davis ended Harvey's 12 up, 12 down start with a single into left field to open up the Rams' (15-15, 8-4 PSAC East) half of the fifth. Two batters later, Seymour took the first pitch she saw to center field for a single that scored pinch-runner Lauren Alt for a 1-0 Shepherd lead.
Kutztown (28-12, 7-3 PSAC East) responded in the top of the sixth.
Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) singled and
Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) smoked a double inside the bag at third, pushing pinch-runner
Aysha Gibbs (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal) to third and giving the Golden Bears two runners in scoring position with two outs.
Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) tied the game on a single up the middle, but KU's go-ahead bid was thwarted when pinch-runner
Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) was thrown out at home by center fielder Isabella Forte.
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) singled with two outs in the seventh, but the Bears couldn't bring her in, setting Shepherd up with a chance to win it.
Davis singled sharply off Harvey's foot to lead off the bottom of the seventh and Lawes turned to Bailey to try and extend the game. The senior got Ashley Burger to fly to center for the first out, but Seymour connected for a double to the gap in left that scored Davis with the winning run.
Harvey, who was responsible for Davis, took the tough luck loss, dropping to 5-2 on the season. She yielded four hits in six innings and struck out two. Ruffner allowed plenty of traffic on the bases with eight hits and two walks, but limited KU to just the one run in a complete game victory.
Seven different Bears had at least one hit with Donato providing their only multi-hit performance (2-for-3). Davis and Seymour each went 2-for-3, accounting for four of Shepherd's five hits. Seymour drove in both runs.
UP NEXT
Kutztown remains on the road to finish the weekend as they make a stop in Millersville, Saturday, for a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m.
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