KUTZTOWN, Pa. --Â Kutztown University bolted out to a 6-2 lead in Thursday's opening game of the NCAA Division II Softball Atlantic Super Regional at North Campus Field, but Mountain East Conference champion Glenville State battled back with eight unanswered runs over the final three innings to steal a 10-6 victory over the Golden Bears.
Alexa Stevens (Jefferson Township, Pa./North Pocono) cranked a first inning solo home run, while
Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) and
Samantha Paetow (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg) each had two hits for the Golden Bears, who now face a must-win situation in game two, Friday at 1 p.m.
Everything seemed to be going Kutztown's (38-21) way early before the Pioneers' bats came alive in the late innings.
Stevens' home run gave the hosts an early boost. Henn delivered a two-out RBI double in the second and the Golden Bears also used heads up baserunning to push runs across in both the second and third innings.
KU starting pitcher
Amanda Slabicki (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) was perfect through three innings while striking out three. The senior ran into trouble in the fourth when Delaney Warnick hit a two-run shot and the fifth when three of the first four Glenville State (50-15) batters singled.
The Pioneers kept their fifth inning rally going with RBI singles from Alexis Harward and Shelby McDaniels and scored a third run on a fielder's choice to pull within 6-5.
Zailees Seda tied the game with a solo homer in the sixth and the Pioneers got to reliever
Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) for four runs in the seventh on an AndiJo Howard 3-run pinch-hit home run and Seda RBI double to take control.
Kutztown got two runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh when
Morgan Kocher (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) doubled and Paetow singled but Kylie Burdick induced a
Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) pop out and third baseman Kylee Goodman made a tremendous diving catch in foul territory on a
Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland) pop to end it.
Seda led all players with three hits (3-for-4). McDaniels and Harward were each 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Glenville State.
Burdick earned her 20th win of the season after throwing three scoreless innings in relief of Maci Boggess. She struck out four. Gravish (23-8) took the loss after allowing five runs (one earned) on seven hits over 2.2 innings. Slabicki yielded five runs on five hits in 4.1 innings.
The Golden Bears are in the Atlantic Super Regional for the third consecutive season and are looking to return to the NCAA Division II Championship round for the first time since 2013.
If Kutztown can even the series with a victory in game two, it would force a winner-take-all game three at approximately 3 p.m., Friday afternoon. Fans can purchase tickets
HERE or follow live video and stats
HERE.
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