STROUDSBURG, Pa. –
Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) connected on a solo home run with two outs in the top of the 10th inning and
Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) threw a complete game shutout to help fourth-seeded Kutztown softball down top seed and host East Stroudsburg 1-0 Saturday morning in an NCAA Atlantic Regional game at Creekview Park.
The Golden Bears (35-22 overall) will now play tomorrow, Sunday, May 12, against fifth-seeded Shippensburg, which defeated eighth-seeded Bowie State in its first elimination game of the day and then downed the Warriors in the second elimination game. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m., weather dependant.
The 10-inning game was the longest of the season for the Maroon and Gold and was the most innings played since an 11-inning game at Barry on March 14, 2023.
Gravish and East Stroudsburg starter, Sarah Davenport, were dealing all game inside the circle. Prior to the deciding 10th inning, the duo hadn't surrendered a run and only allowed eight hits combined. But the junior Gravish would end up outdueling the freshman Davenport, who struck out 14 batters and gave up just four hits, none was bigger though then Stevens' long drive in the top of the 10th. It was the sophomore's first hit of the day and ninth HR.
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township),
Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) and
Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) had the other three hits for the Golden Bears.
Leading 1-0 in the bottom-half of the 10th, Hughes came up with a big catch in right center field, saving what could have been a double, at least a single, and kept the lead off runner off the base paths. The Warriors (46-16) did get a two-out single from Kate Donaghue, but Gravish recorded the final out on a flyout to Stocklin in center field to seal the victory, her 21st on the year.
Kutztown advances to Sunday's regional final and will only have to win one game out of a potential two to advance to next week's Super Regional, hosted by the highest remaining seed of the two pods. The other pod's representative will either be the two seed West Chester or the three seed Charleston.
