FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: No. 25 Kutztown Outlasts Mansfield in Extra Innings – Golden Bears take two from Mountaineers.

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

KUTZTOWN – Great pitching from both sides highlighted the opener, as No. 25 Kutztown needed 10 innings to put away Mansfield in PSAC crossover action.

The Golden Bears swept the Mounties Saturday afternoon winning the opener 1-0 and followed with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.

The opening game was an old fashion pitcher's duel as both Melissa Baer of Mansfield and Samantha Derr of Kutztown held shutouts into extra innings.

The Mounties were held hitless until freshman Kate Pratt belted a lead-off double into centerfield. Mansfield could not capitalize on Pratt's hit and went into the bottom of the 7th in a 0-0 tie.

Kutztown tallied a single, a double, and reached on an error in the bottom of the 7th but Mansfield's defense refused to allow a run as the Mountaineers forced the game into extra innings.

In the 9th, Mansfield's Stephanie Simmeth hit a one-out single to center and advanced to second on Pratt's bunt, but two straight outs by the Mountaineers left Simmeth stranded and kept the game locked in a scoreless tie.

In the 10th, Kutztown's Stephanie Graver sealed the victory driving in Morgan Booth, who started the inning on second via the international tie-breaker rule, giving the Bears the 1-0 win.

Senior Melissa Baer pitched 7.1 shutout innings, only allowing 4 hits while in the circle. Simmeth and Pratt each had a hit for the Mountaineers.

Kutztown's Samantha Derr pitched a 10 inning shutout allowing only two hits.

In the nightcap, Kutztown jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring a run a piece in the first two innings. Mansfield answered back in the third when Simmeth drove in Janelle Antes and Jamie Castellano with a single up the middle.

The Bears extended their lead in the 5th adding two runs to make the score 4-2 in Kutztown's favor. Mansfield allowed another run in the 6th to make it 5-2 and was unable to put more runs on the board in the top of the 7th.

The Mountaineers fell to a final score of 5-2.

Antes, Simmeth, Kate Pratt, and Kaitlin Kramer all had a hit a piece for the Mountaineers. Antes and Castellano each scored a run.

The Bears' Jaimie Hetzler went 3 for 3 with a run and an RBI.

Mansfield travels to No. 14 Bloomsburg Sunday, April 3 to take on the Huskies in a PSAC Central division match-up. First pitch is set for 1:00pm.