WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Kutztown softball opened its spring break trip down in Florida taking one of two games against Palm Beach Atlantic Monday evening in West Palm Beach, Fla.
 
The Golden Bears (10-3 overall) won game one 2-0, but fell in game two 7-4.
 
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) both finished with two hits and two RBIs on the night. Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) also had two hits, one each game, adding an RBI, while Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) contributed an RBI. Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) added one hit in game one.
 
Inside the circle, Natalee Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) started the opener and threw a complete game shutout for her sixth win of the season.
 
Kutztown will play two games at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., tomorrow, March 12, with game one beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Kutztown 2, Palm Beach Atlantic 0
 
The game's two runs, both in favor of Kutztown, came in an all-important top of the sixth inning for the Golden Bears.
 
After five scoreless innings and just one hit to date, KU finally broke through in the sixth. Henn came through in the clutch with a two-out, RBI single to left field that scored Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) for the game's first run. Henn advancing to second base on the throw home proved pivotal as she scored in the next at-bat as Stevens ripped a single up the middle for the 2-0 advantage.
 
Harvey went the distance and earned her sixth victory of the season and fourth shutout, allowing just five hits, while striking out four batters.
 
Palm Beach Atlantic 7, Kutztown 4
 
Unlike in game one, runs were more aplenty in game two as the teams combined to score 11 after just two in the opener.
 
Kutztown scored all four of its runs in the first two innings, one in the top of the first and three more in the second. But a five-run, fifth inning propelled Palm Beach Atlantic into its first lead of the night and it held on late to salvage the split.
 
Stocklin led off the game with a single to left center and came home two batters later on a run-scoring triple by Stevens, her first of the season. The Sailfish (7-13) tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom-half of the inning.
 
Stocklin got on base once again in her second at-bat, this time with an important two-out, two-run double to center field that scored Harvat and Lexi Wescott (Phoenixville, Pa./Spring-Ford). Slomkowski then was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to draw another run and a 4-1 lead.
 
Palm Beach Atlantic hit around the lineup in the fifth, as the first six batters reached base safely, five of which with hits. The Sailfish added an insurance run in the sixth and held KU hitless after the second inning.

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