EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore
Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) went 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs and scored three runs in helping Kutztown softball defeat 13th-ranked East Stroudsburg 10-5 in the opener of a two-game set Tuesday afternoon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division opener for both teams at Creekview Park.
The Golden Bears (13-8 overall, 1-1 PSAC) dropped game two 5-1.
Piatkiewicz,
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and
Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) all had three hits between the two games to pace the lineup. Stocklin scored three runs and Harvat contributed an RBI and two runs scored.
Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the opener.
Natalee Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union) threw a complete game, starting game one inside the circle. She allowed just three earned runs and struck out a career-high nine batters to earn her seventh win of the season.
Kutztown will next have a weekend double header at Lock Haven this Saturday, March 23, with game one beginning at 1 p.m.
Kutztown 10, East Stroudsburg 5
Kutztown halted a four-game losing streak with the game one victory. KU amassed nine hits and scored the third-most runs of the season. The Golden Bears also achieved those numbers on the PSAC leader in wins entering the game in Paige Zigmund, who had 10 victories.
Kutztown jumped out in front 3-0 and then fell behind 4-3 before it scored seven runs in the next three innings, highlighted by Piatkiewicz's first career HR, a three-run shot over the center field fence in the top of the sixth inning to stake the KU lead to 10-4.
Harvey allowed just three earned runs and struck out a career-high nine batters, really limiting the explosive bats of East Stroudsburg.
Kutztown scored two runs in the top of the first inning and was helped out with a bit of luck as a swinging strike three that would've been the third out got away from the catcher to load the bases. Geesey stepped up and delivered with a two-run single to center field.
KU added a third run on a
Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) sacrifice fly in third to go on top 3-0. The Warriors answered with a four-run, bottom-half to take their first lead of the game at 4-3.
But the Golden Bears quickly responded and took back the lead with four runs in the top of the fourth highlighted by an RBI double by Harvat and an RBI triple from Piatkiewicz, and KU led 7-4. The sophomore infielder then connected on a three-run long ball in the sixth to cap the scoring.
East Stroudsburg 5, Kutztown 1
Kutztown finished with just three hits in game two. One of them, a single by Stocklin in the top of the third inning, accounting for the lone run of the game as Harvat came around to score on a fielding error by East Stroudsburg.
The run put the Maroon and Gold out in front 1-0 and looking for the sweep, but the home Warriors did not want to be swept in their conference opener in front of the home crowd. They bounced back with a four-run, bottom of the third to take a 4-1 lead and hold on for the win.
