KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown softball began the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference portion of its schedule in style, taking care of both games against Mansfield Friday afternoon at North Campus Field, winning game one 3-1 and game two 7-0.
 
The Golden Bears (11-9 overall, 2-0 PSAC East) have now won a season-best four games in-a-row and are unbeaten in conference.
 
Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) went 3-for-6 on the day, two of the hits being extra base hits. She also had two RBIs and scored three runs. One of her extra base hits was a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one that, along with Alexa Stevens' (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono) long ball, sent KU to the win. Stevens was 3-for-6 as well with three RBIs and two runs scored. Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) and Ashley Schulz (Oreland, Pa./Springfield) both finished with two hits, Henn also scoring three times. Sophia Johnston (Wilmington, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) recorded her first collegiate hit and it also accounted for an RBI in the nightcap.
 
Just as they did in the last time out, the starting pitching duo of Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) and Amanda Slabicki (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) each threw gems inside the circle and came out victorious for their team. Gravish threw the complete game in the opener and allowed just four hits, striking out five to improve to 7-3 on the season. Slabicki threw seven innings of shutout ball, giving up five hits while striking out six to go to 2-4.
 
Kutztown has the rest of the weekend off due to a bye and will next hit the diamond next Tuesday, March 24, for its first PSAC road matchup at East Stroudsburg. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m.
 
Kutztown 3, Mansfield 1
 
Stevens and Slomkowski connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 deadlock and then Gravish recorded the final three outs in the top of the seventh in order to secure the opening victory.
 
Stevens also accounted for KU's first run of the game, an RBI sacrifice fly that brought around Henn for the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
 
The Mounties, who flirted with scoring the first three innings, finally getting on the scoreboard on a solo home run over the left field wall in the top of the fourth to tie the score at 1-1.
 
Two innings later, the Golden Bears took back the lead. With one out and nobody on base, Stevens took a 3-1 pitch and hit it to left field to break the tie. Next batter, Slomkowski homered on the second pitch for the 3-1 lead.
 
Samantha Paetow (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg), Sophia Collins (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), Schulz all had a hit, along with Henn, Stevens and Slomkowski.
 
Kutztown 7, Mansfield 0
 
Stevens and Slomkowski were once again the catalysts of the offense as Stevens' speed forced a quick and errant throw from the Mansfield shortstop as she threw it away past the first baseman and allowed Henn, who led off with a walk, to score for the 1-0 lead after one.
 
In the third, Stevens had a run-scoring single that also brought in Henn and a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Taylor Gearhart (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) reached on a fielder's choice and a Mounties throwing error brought home Schulz. Gearhart later connected on an RBI single through the left side in the fifth to push the advantage to 5-0.
 
Kutztown added on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Slomkowski tallying an RBI double and Johnston getting the RBI single.

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