KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Last week at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament, Kutztown softball had the knack for the dramatics, coming back from deficits in all four of its games to earn the PSAC championship. It was more of the same for No. 1 KU Friday afternoon as it erased a one-run deficit in the sixth and won its second NCAA Atlantic Regional game 4-3 over No. 5 West Virginia Wesleyan in eight innings at North Campus Field.
 
Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) had her hand in both the game-tying and game-winning runs. The senior second baseman singled up the middle to bring home Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 3-3. She then ripped a long, fly ball into foul territory in left field that was caught. Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township), who singled to lead off the inning, raced home for the winning run and a perfect 2-0 start to NCAAs for KU.
 
Kutztown (39-13 overall) advances to Saturday's winner's bracket final of the four-team pod at 1 p.m. The team has yet to be determined. A KU victory would send the Golden Bears to the NCAA Super Regionals next weekend, most likely at North Campus Field.
 
The 1-through-3 hitters in the KU lineup, consisting of Stocklin, Auvil and Ostaszewski, manufactured all four of their team's runs. Auvil finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Stocklin was 2-for-4, scoring two runs. Ostaszewski went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
 
Following a 1:32 rain delay in the top of the third inning, the Bobcats (37-17-1), who were threatening with runners on first and second with a 2-0 count before the game had to be halted due to heavy rain, struck first with a three-run double to the center field wall to go ahead 3-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Maroon and Gold got things going. Stocklin led off with a double and then Auvil crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) pitched all eight innings and gave up three runs on five hits to earn her seventh win on the season.
 
Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) and Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) also had a hit apiece for Kutztown.

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