QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – No. 24 Kutztown University softball erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, erasing an early two-run deficit and defeated East Stroudsburg 10-2 Wednesday night under the lights in KU's opening Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament game.
 
The Golden Bears (34-13 overall), the top seed out of the East Division, advance to the winner's bracket and will take on the East's three seed, Bloomsburg tomorrow, Thursday, May 5, at 12:30 p.m. The Huskies defeated Seton Hill 9-3 in the game prior to KU's. The Golden Bears and Huskies split two games played back on April 16.
 
Kutztown fell behind early before it even stepped up to the plate. The Warriors (34-10), the fifth seed out of the East, connected on two home runs in their first three batters, including the leadoff. Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), who earned her PSAC-leading 20th win of the year, came into the game allowing just four long balls all season. But ESU tagged her early to the tune of two solo drives.
 
With two outs and a runner at first base, Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) singled to third base. East Stroudsburg, which made two pitching changes in the fourth inning alone, pulled its starter. Then, freshman Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) had arguably the biggest hit of her young career, ripping a double down the left field line that scored Texidor and Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) to give KU a 4-2 lead. Following a walk to Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point), three consecutive, run-scoring singles out of Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan), Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area) and Alyssa Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Cumberland Regional) added three more runs to push KU's advantage to 7-2 after four.
 
That certainly gave Bailey confidence as the senior sat down six of the next eight Warriors. Hughes hit her 10th home run on the year in the fifth, tied for second in the conference in home runs. Kutztown was able to walk-it-off, run-rule style in the bottom of the sixth as Ostaszewski doubled home Auvil and, with two outs, Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) singled up the middle and brought home pinch-runner Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) for the winning run.
 
Kutztown tied the game 2-2 in the third on an RBI single by Ostaszewski and a sacrifice fly from Lipowski.
 
Stocklin and Ostaszewski both finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. The duo combined for five RBIs. Auvil and Texidor each were 2-for-3 and combined to score five runs. Lipowski, Donato, Hughes, Geesey and Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) rounded out the KU lineup with a hit, bringing the overall total to 15. KU outhit ESU 15-6.
 
East Stroudsburg, who won in its opening game over Gannon, will square off with IUP Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

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