PEMBROKE, N.C. – The 16th-ranked Kutztown softball team erased an early 2-0 deficit to defeat host UNC Pembroke 6-4 Friday afternoon in the regular season opener, but could not complete the comeback in game of the day, falling to Felician 6-4 on day one of the UNCP Invitational.
 
The Golden Bears (1-1 overall) began their 2026 campaign a week later than normally planned, as last week in Pembroke was snowed out.
 
Junior center fielder Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) is the new leadoff, taking over for recently graduated Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township), who held that title for the last four seasons. Henn picked up right where her former teammate left off, finishing with a six hit day, going 6-for-8 with four RBIs. The two Morgans in the lineup also had themselves a day, as Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) and Morgan Kocher (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) both recorded four hits each, with Slomkowski adding three RBIs and Kocher one. Samantha Paetow (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg), Taylor Gearhart (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), Jamie Madara (Levittown, Pa./Academy of the New Church) and Ashley Schulz (Oreland, Pa./Springfield) all had a hit.
 
Graduate student Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) started the opener inside the circle and continued her solid play from the last two-plus seasons, throwing a complete game, giving up just three earned runs for the win. She currently ranks second all-time in program history in career appearances (127), wins (73), complete games (66) and innings pitched (633.1), while ranking fourth in strikeouts (440).
 
Kutztown will next take on Chowan for a game at noon tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 7, before concluding the weekend with a game Sunday.
 
Kutztown 6, UNC Pembroke 4
 
Kutztown fell behind early, 2-0 after the first as UNCP got on the scoreboard via a two-run double by Kaitlynn Hunt. KU responded immediately with its next at-bats in the top of the second with three straight batters reached base safely, as Schulz walked and then Paetow and Kocher singled in consecutive plate appearances, with Kocher's bringing in the first Golden Bear run of the 2026 season. Following an out, Madara was hit by a pitch to load the bases before two more runs came around thanks to a run-scoring base hit from Henn and a sacrifice fly by Parker Kraus (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) to put the Maroon and Gold on top 3-2.
 
KU kept right at it the next inning as Slomkowski led off the top of the third with a solo home run the opposite way to right and then, five batters later, Henn drove in another run with a single up the middle that brought around Schulz. The junior center fielder was at it again for the third time in the top of fifth as she singled down the left field line to score Leanna Schenk (Roslyn, Pa./Abington) and add on to the advantage, 6-2 in favor of the Maroon and Gold.
 
The Braves made it interesting in the late innings as they attempted a rally, scoring a run in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Gravish was able to shut the door before any further damage could happen. A solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh for Pembroke cut its deficit to 6-4, but Gravish recorded the next three outs for the season-opening victory.
 
Felician 6, Kutztown 4
 
Kutztown struck first as Henn led off with a single and then raced home three batters later on an attempted throw to second by the catcher to nab a runner to put KU up 1-0 after the top of the first inning. But just like in game one, the Golden Bears found themselves trailing after one inning of action as the Golden Falcons scored four runs in the bottom-half of the frame, bringing eight batters to the plate and tallying four hits.
 
The Maroon and Gold pulled to within just one with two runs in the top of the third inning. Madara singled to third to lead off and then stole second two batters later. Kraus walked to put two runners on with two outs and then Slomkowski delivered a double to deep center field to clear the bases and cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
Felician tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth before KU responded with another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Henn, scoring Gearhart who tripled to right center with one out and the Golden Bears trailed just 5-4. But the Golden Falcons added one more insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and then sat down Kutztown 1-2-3 in the seventh.

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