QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown softball wasted little time in showing out at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament as it put up 12 runs and allowed just one in defeating California (Pa.) in its opening game 12-1 in five innings Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
The Golden Bears (32-20 overall) got four of their first five batters on base safely and staked themselves to an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) led off the frame with a single up the middle and then advanced to second on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township) singled the opposite way to bring around Stocklin. After a sacrifice bunt by Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) to move Darnowski to second, Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) recorded the third single of the inning, an RBI sending home Darnowski. Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland), the next batter, doubled down the left field line and pinch runner, Ella McNeff (Factoryville, Pa./Tunkhannock), scored the third run of the inning.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Vulcans (22-19) got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the fourth. Cal was threatening to score more and potentially tie or take the lead as they had the bases loaded with just one out, but Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) stopped the bleeding and shut the door that inning and the rest of the game for the Vulcans.
 
Kutztown responded in a big way, however, in the bottom-half of the fourth, sending 12 batters to the plate and recording nine runs to take a double-digit lead at 12-1 and put the game into run-rule effect. The first seven batters reached base safely. Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) walked, Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) singled through the left side and Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Stocklin then came up and delivered an RBI single, which was followed by a walk to Darnowski. Henn ripped a two-run double and then Reimel added a two-run single to push the advantage to 9-1 before an out was even recorded. Then, in her second at-bat of the inning, Stevens delivered the knockout punch with a three-run home run to straight away center field.
 
Gravish pitched all five innings, allowing just the one run, striking out seven for her 18th victory of the season. Reimel finished 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBIs and a run scored. Stevens was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and scored two runs. Stocklin went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Darnowski and Henn both tallied two RBIs and had a hit each.
 
Earlier in the day, the third and final NCAA DII Atlantic Regional rankings before the selection show were released and KU was ranked third behind East Stroudsburg and Charleston (W.Va.). The selection show to announce the field is set for Monday, May 6, at 10 a.m.
 
Kutztown will now play the winner of Shippensburg-Gannon tomorrow, Thursday, May 2, at 10 a.m.

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