QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) led off the game with a home run three pitches in to give No. 18 Kutztown a 1-0 lead, but Shepherd responded by scoring 10 of the next 11 runs to eliminate KU from the 2025 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, by winning 10-2 in five innings Friday afternoon at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
The Golden Bears, who fell to 39-16 overall, met a hot-hitting Rams (26-21-1) team in a matchup of the second and third-seeded teams from the Eastern Division. It was the first game against an East foe for the Maroon and Gold during the tournament, who played against three Western Division teams over the course of the first three days.
 
Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) also had an RBI in the top of the second inning for Kutztown's other run. Her, Stocklin and Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) all finished with two hits, while Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) and Samantha Paetow (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg) both recorded a hit.
 
After Stocklin's first-inning HR, Shepherd answered with a four-run bottom of the first. Following Geesey's RBI to cut their deficit to 4-2, the Rams took control of the game with six runs in the bottom of the third, as they batted around and tallied six hits, including two long balls. The first five batters recorded hits and Shepherd finished with 10 hits total off three different Golden Bears pitchers.
 
Kutztown will now turn its attention to the NCAA Tournament, which begins next Thursday, May 8. KU was ranked second in the Atlantic Region in the final ranking before Monday morning's Selection Show and is well-positioned to host a four-team regional pod at North Campus Field.

  Read Full Article