QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – In a rematch of last season's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game, the same result happened on the same field as Kutztown softball got the better of Meryhurst 7-4 Wednesday on field 4 in game No. 4 of the PSAC Championships at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
The Golden Bears (29-22 overall) won their fifth game in-a-row at PSACs, having won all four last season, on route to the 2022 title, that included two triumphs over the Lakers (31-20) on their way to the championship.
 
Mercyhurst entered the game at the top of the leaderboard in the conference in hits, runs scored and batting average. But the combination of Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) and Sarah Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) limited the Lakers as a whole to just six hits and the four runs, with Gravish starting and going four innings, earning the victory. Harvey threw three shutout innings in relief and picked up her first career save. KU outhit Mercyhurst 9-6 on the day.
 
Like they did last year, the two teams once again met on the back field near the train tracks and both teams brought their 'A' games. Kutztown got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the first inning. Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) led off with a single to center. Three batters later, cleanup hitter, Harvey, got her team on the board with a two-out double the opposite way to right center and a 1-0 lead.
 
Following a scoreless second, Harvey was at it again at the plate and delivered a two-run home run, her team-leading and career-best ninth on the season, tied for seventh in the conference, and a 3-0 advantage. The Lakers, however, responded in a big way in the bottom-half of the frame, smacking three long balls, including two in the span of two pitches, taking their first lead of the game at 4-3.
 
The Maroon and Gold would not stay behind for long as last year's tournament MVP, Kate Ostaszewski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) once again came up clutch for her team. After a Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) single and walks to both Stocklin and Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township), Ostaszewski drove the first pitch she saw well over the right field fence for a one-out grand slam, which proved to be the game-winning hit, giving her team a 7-4 lead.
 
Harvey then came on to pitch and did not allow a hit or a run the final three innings. The senior, along with Ostaszewski, combined for seven RBIs, accounting for all seven of KU's runs. Harvey was 3-for-4 and Ostaszewski was 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Harvat was also 2-for-4 and scored a run. Stocklin and Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) each had a hit for KU.
 
Kutztown will now take on the fifth seed, Bloomsburg, at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 4. The Huskies won both of their games Wednesday, beating California (Pa.) in the opener before taking down top seed West Chester.

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