KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown softball took a break from PSAC play, but still kept its winning ways going as KU won both of its non-conference games against Wilmington Wednesday afternoon at North Campus Field.
 
The Golden Bears (20-14 overall) won game one 4-1 and took game two 8-7 on a walk-off hit by Ashley Schulz (Oreland, Pa./Springfield) after they trailed 7-0 in the third inning.
 
Kutztown had 19 hits on the day. Schulz went 4-for-7 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) finished with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Alexa Stevens (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono), Morgan Kocher (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), Samantha Paetow (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg) and Caitlin Ashley (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) all recorded two hits with Stevens adding two RBIs. Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East), Sophia Collins (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) and Taylor Gearhart (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) all had a hit with Slomkowski adding an RBI.
 
Amanda Slabicki (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) threw a complete game in the opener to record the victory, her third of the season, allowing just five hits and an unearned run. Abbey Wagner (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) came on in relief in game two and threw the final five innings, striking out two and allowing just two runs to earn her fourth victory.
 
Kutztown gets back into PSAC play this Friday when it travels to take on Mansfield with game one beginning at 2 p.m.
 
Kutztown 4, Wilmington 1
 
The big hits for Kutztown came from Ashley and Schulz in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Ashley entered the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fourth and delivered an RBI single that actually scored two runs as Jamie Madara (Levittown, Pa./Academy of the New Church) came around from second base and Gearhart reached third before sprinting home on an errant throw from the shortstop trying to nab Madara to give KU its first lead at 2-1.
 
With two on in the bottom of the fifth, Schulz stepped up and came up clutch with a two-run double to left field, bringing home Stevens and Piatkiewicz for the 4-1 advantage.
 
That was all the support Slabicki needed, who allowed just five hits and the lone run the Wildcats scored was unearned. She struck out four for the complete game victory, her third of the season.
 
The Maroon and Gold finished with seven hits, led by two from Henn, both hits for the junior were doubles. Kocher, Paetow, Schulz, Gearhart and Ashley each added a hit.
 
Kutztown 8, Wilmington 7
 
Kutztown found itself in a giant hole after 2.5 innings, as Wilmington jumped out to a 7-0 lead, scoring four runs in the top of the second and three more in the third. But after Wagner, who entered the game the second batter in the third, got the final out of the frame, she shut down the Wildcats the last four innings, allowing just two hits.
 
The Golden Bears began to mount their comeback in the bottom of the third inning. It all started with Piatkiewicz's lead off triple, the first this season and second of her career. Henn followed with an RBI single to bring her home and then Kocher doubled through the left side of the infield via a bunt to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Two batters later, Slomkowski connected on a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Henn for the second run. Paetow, the next batter, singled in Kocher as KU cut its deficit to 7-3.
 
In the fourth, Schulz led off with a single and then Collins took a page out of Kocher's book and singled via a bunt to put two runners on and no one out. After a walk to Parker Kraus (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood), Schulz touched home safely on a fielder's choice for Henn as the throw from the infield came home, but the Wildcats' catcher did not have a foot on the plate. Kocher picked up an RBI on a groundout and then Stevens hit a two-run single to cap the inning and tie the score at 7-7.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, looking to avoid extra innings for the fourth time in the last five double headers, KU was down to its last out after Slomkowski led off the frame with a single. But Schulz stepped up and came up clutch, just as she had all day, and singled to right center field to walk off as winners.
 
Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg), who started the game inside the circle, struck out two batters and earned career strikeout No. 500. She ranks second all-time in program history.

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