LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Kutztown softball scored the second-most runs in a game this season to salvage a split at Lock Haven Monday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division doubleheader.
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The games were originally scheduled to be played last Saturday, but were postponed due to rain. With KU having its bye this past Friday, the Golden Bears (14-9 overall, 2-2 PSAC) entered the day not having played since Tuesday, March 19, at East Stroudsburg.
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The Bald Eagles (6-12, 2-4) won the opening game 2-0 behind a stellar pitching performance by Faith Persing and timely hitting. But in game two, the Maroon and Gold lineup woke up to the tune of 12 runs and eight hits, winning 12-2 in five innings. It's the second-most runs scored this season behind 15 runs scored in a 15-1 victory over Felician on Feb. 4.
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Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and
Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) both had two hits coming in game two, and they were important ones getting their team on the scoreboard for the first time on the day in their first at-bats of the nightcap. They were both or extra base hits as Reimel recorded a two-run double and Gravish a two-run home run, her first of the season. The duo combined for nine RBIs, with Reimel recording five and Gravish four.
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Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and
Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) both finished with two hits on the day with the latter contributing one RBI and scoring two runs.
Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township) had a hit and an RBI.
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Gravish also started game two inside the circle and went the distance, throwing five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out five for her sixth win of the season.
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Kutztown has a quick turnaround and will remain on the road as it travels to Shepherdstown, W.Va., to take on Shepherd for a doubleheader tomorrow, March 26, beginning at 1 p.m.
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Lock Haven 2, Kutztown 0
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Lock Haven outhit Kutztown 5-3 and scored a run in the bottom of the third inning and another in the fourth. The game's first run was aided by a throwing error by KU and the second run came with two outs, but back-to-back walks that followed and then an RBI single.
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Bald Eagles starter, Persing, threw a complete game and allowed just three hits, striking out six KU batters.
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Stocklin, Henn and Darnowski each had a hit for Kutztown.
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Kutztown 12, Lock Haven 2 (5 inn.)
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Reimel and Gravish gave the KU lineup the life it needed after being shutout in the opener. Their extra base hits in the top of the first inning gave Kutztown an early 4-0 lead. Lock Haven chipped away at its deficit and cut it in half through the first two innings before the Golden Bears erupted for six runs in the top of the third, highlighted by an RBI double by Henn, a two-run single from Gravish and a sacrifice fly by Darnowski as KU batted around in the lineup.
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The Maroon and Gold put the game into potential mercy rule effect in the top of the fourth as Reimel's two-run single up the middle put her team up by 10 (12-2). Gravish got the game's final six outs from there to secure the split.
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