FLORENCE, S.C. – Kutztown softball suffered its first setback of the 2024 regular season after a four-game win streak to open the campaign as it dropped the opener of two games Saturday, 5-1 to host Francis Marion. But KU responded and took down Molloy 8-7 to go 1-1 in its first two games of the Raines Company Softball Classic in Florence, S.C.
 
Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) went 4-for-7, including two doubles and a home run, along with four RBIs and three runs scored on the day to lead the Golden Bear (5-1 overall) lineup. Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) had a three-hit day, one of which was a long ball, and had two RBIs and two runs scored, and Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) finished with two hits in the two games combined. Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) had the lone RBI in game one for the Maroon and Gold.
 
Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) threw a complete game in the nightcap to earn her third victory of the season. She is 3-0.
 
Kutztown will have one more day in Florence, S.C., as it will take on Molloy first at 1 p.m., followed by Francis Marion at 3 p.m.
 
Francis Marion 5, Kutztown 1
 
Kutztown got its first run of the day and its first hit, both in the top of the seventh inning. Slomkowski led off with a double to left center field and advanced to third two batters later on a single by Reimel, her first hit of the season. Harvat then recorded a sacrifice fly the opposite way to right field that brought around Slomkowski for KU's lone run.
 
The Maroon and Gold were outhit 10-2. Francis Marion took control of the game with a four-run, third inning, where it tallied five hits. The Patriots then added another run in the fifth inning for insurance.
 
Kutztown 8, Molloy 7
 
Kutztown bounced back right after the opener and held a lead, lost it, gained it back and then had to hold onto it late to prevent a Molloy walk off rally in the bottom of the seventh to secure its first win at the Raines Company Classic.
 
Stocklin led off the game with a walk and scored three batters later on a Slomkowski double. KU had another two-out rally in the second as Stevens singled and then came around to score two batters later on an RBI single by Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) to make the score 2-1. The Golden Bears added another in the top of the third thanks to a two-out, RBI single by Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township) to push the lead to 3-1.
 
After the Lions took their first lead of the game with a three-run, bottom of the third inning, Slomkowski delivered with a three-run home run to left field to give her team back the lead at 6-4.
 
With one out in the seventh, Darnowski walked and then Stevens connected for a two-run home run, which proved to be pivotal insurance runs for the Maroon and Gold, because Molloy scored three runs in the bottom-half and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Gravish recorded the game-ending strikeout.
 
Gravish struck out four batters in her seven innings.

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