(Kutztown University Sports Information)
KUTZTOWN, PA- Senior Heather Hannum (Horsham, Pa./ Hatboro-Horsham) and juniors Katie Lynch (Willow Street, Pa./ Lampeter-Strasburg) and Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/ Absegami) each belted homers to help the Kutztown University softball team sweep Georgian Court University in its home-opener at North Campus Field on Friday afternoon.
The Golden Bears (22-1 overall) are ranked eighth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 Poll. Kutztown shutout the Lions (11-13 overall) 13-0 in the first game and sealed the doubleheader with a 5-3 win in the second game.
KU combined for 20 hits in the in the series with 14 coming in the first game. Kutztown put up eight runs in the second inning after Samantha Derr (Lititz, Pa./ Warwick) and Lynch used back-to-back singles to get the inning rolling. Isgro smashed a double to score Derr and give KU a 1-0 advantage. With Elizabeth Kangas (Douglassville, Pa./ Daniel Boone) pinch running for Lynch on third, Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, Pa./ Stroudsburg) decided to showcase Kutztown's speed when she laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Kangas. Jackie Hetzler (Turnersville, NJ/ Washington Twp.) also got her hands on a double while Kelly Strittmatter (Wyckoff, NJ/ Indian Hills) used another squeeze to help put KU up 4-0. Kelly Fitzgerald (Upper Darby, Pa./ Archbishop Prendergast) singled to drive in two runs and later in the inning Derr doubled to right field and collected two RBIs, giving Kutztown the vast 8-0 lead.
In the third inning, Isgro led off with a homer over the left field fence to keep the offense going. After Strittmatter reached on a single, Fitzgerald doubled to centerfield to push the score to 9-0. With bases loaded, Derr reached on an error by the centerfielder, which cost the Lions three runs and gave the Golden Bears the 13-0 advantage.
Hetzler was 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Strittmatter, Fitzgerlad, Derr, and Isgro each finished with two hits.
Derr recorded her 11th win of the season for Kutztown. She struck out three batters and allowed only one hit. Tori Marcavage (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) saw some time in the circle as well. She pitched two innings and finished with one strikeout.
Illiana Teran took the loss for the Lions.
In the second game, Hannum wasted no time clearing the bases after she crushed a three-run homer in the first inning. Lynch followed Hannum's lead and in the second inning she used a solo home run to left centerfield to push Kutztown's lead to 4-0.
It wasn't until the sixth inning until Kutztown struck again. With Kangas on second, Derr's solid bat belted a double to bring in KU's final run.
The Lions tried to fight back in the seventh inning after Selena Santillo reached on a fielder's choice. Ashlynn Thompson doubled to move Santillo to third while Alyssa Paradiso would reach on a fielder's choice, allowing Santillo to score. With runners on second and third, Dara Schroeder singled to centerfield to score Thompson and Paradiso, cutting KU's lead to 5-3. The Golden Bears' defense kept Georgian Court off the bases and scoreless thereafter.
Mary Kociencki (Columbia, NJ/ Sparta) recorded her eighth win as she finished with one strikeout. Brooke Hull took the loss for Georgian Court.
