STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Fourth-seeded Kutztown softball broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and then starting pitcher, Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg), recorded three straight outs to finish off the 4-2 victory over fifth-seeded Shippensburg Thursday afternoon in KU's first NCAA Atlantic Regional game at Creekview Park in Stroudsburg.
 
In the opening game of the day, top seed and host East Stroudsburg took down the eighth seed, Bowie State 11-1 in five innings.
 
The Golden Bears (34-22 overall) defeated the Raiders (33-21) for the sixth time this season in as many games. Shippensburg beat KU in regionals last year.
 
Gravish threw a complete game and only allowed an earned run on five hits. She won for the 20th time in 2024.
 
Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) and Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) both had a hit and an RBI. Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) and Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) each recorded a hit for the Maroon and Gold and Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) tallied an RBI.
 
Shippensburg got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the first inning. The Raiders loaded the bases twice in the first, but only came away with a single run on a sacrifice fly. They also had runners at every base in the fourth inning, but Gravish allowed just one total run in those two frames.
 
Kutztown loaded the bases itself in the first on walks to Stocklin and Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) and a Raiders error. Hughes hit into a fielder's choice for KU's first run and then Stevens worked a full count walk with the bases juiced and two outs.
 
Shippensburg tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third on a run scoring single by Emilee Sullivan. With runners at second and third and two outs, Gravish got herself out of the jam and kept the game tied, inducing a ground ball back to her.
 
In the fourth, the Raiders loaded the bases with two outs, but once again, Gravish got a ground ball taken by Stevens for the final out without allowing a run.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Slomkowski led off with a single through the left side and then advanced to third the next batter after a single up the middle by Stevens. Geesey then came up and hit a sacrifice fly to right to score the go-ahead and what proved to be game-winning run. Stocklin added some insurance with a two-out, RBI single to left that brought around Stevens.
 
Kutztown will now take on the host Warriors tomorrow, Friday, May 10, at 11 a.m., back at Creekview Park.

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