FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Kutztown softball had a seventh-inning lead slip in a 9-8 defeat to Caldwell and then saw the host, Nova Southeastern record two big innings in an 8-1 victory on its home field, to highlight two games Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
 
It was just the second game against the Cougars in program history, having beaten them 1-0 back on March 11, 2020, in Boca Raton, Fla. KU had won the last two games against the Sharks and were 2-1 in the all-time series entering Thursday's game.
 
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) led the Golden Bear (6-10 overall) offense with four hits, three of which came in the opener. Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township) went 3-for-3 in game two. Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) totaled two hits on the day, both against the Cougars (3-6).
 
Kutztown will have a day off Friday after four straight days of action and will conclude its Florida trip back on the campus of Nova Southeastern with two games against the host Sharks on Saturday, March 18, beginning at 11 a.m.
 
Caldwell 9, Kutztown 8
 
Kutztown broke a 7-7 tie with a run in the top of the seventh inning, but Caldwell answered with two in the bottom-half to walk off as winners.
 
The Maroon and Gold opened up a large lead, scoring seven runs in the top of the third inning to go on top 7-0. Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) started the scoring with a two-run double. Reimel then had an RBI single and Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown), Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor), Lauren Petitt (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and Stocklin all recorded RBIs in the frame.
 
The Cougars then scored at least one run in each inning the rest of the way, including a three-run fourth. They tied the game in the sixth before winning it with two in the seventh. Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) put KU ahead with an RBI, sacrifice fly in the seventh.
 
Nova Southeastern 8, Kutztown 1
 
Kutztown jumped out in front of the hosts with a run in its first at-bats. Stocklin led off the game with a single to left and then Darnowski recorded a bunt single. After Ostaszewski loaded the bases with nobody out, Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) recorded her first RBI of the season via a sacrifice fly to center field that brought home Stocklin.
 
Natalee Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) worked a strong first three innings, giving up just one run, coming off a fielder's choice in the bottom of the second that tied the game at 1-1. But the Sharks (22-7) took their first lead of the game in a big way with a four-run, fourth inning, all happening after Harvey recorded the first two outs. There were three hits, a walk and an error in the frame. Nova Southeastern then tacked on three more runs for insurance in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Sharks starting pitcher, Alyssa Drogemuller, gave up just the one run and allowed four KU hits. The Sharks lineup finished with 11 hits.

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