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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Pratt and Crandell Threw Complete Game Wins in Sweep over Kutztown – Pratt Hits 36th Career Home Run

 KUTZTOWN – Seniors Kate Pratt and Emily Crandell each went the distance, including extra-innings by Crandell, to lead Mansfield to a key PSAC East sweep at Kutztown Tuesday afternoon.

Pratt struck out four and walked one while also hitting a two-run home run in a 5-2 victory  in the opener and Crandell was magnificent in the nightcap, striking out six and scattering six hits in a 3-1 win.

In the opener, Mansfield jumped out to an early lead when Stephanie Simmeth led off the game with a double followed by single by Courtney Bauder. Pratt was then walked to load the bases with no outs.  Simmeth scored off a wild pitch before Megan Miller singled in two more runs for a 3-0 Mountaineer lead.

Kutztown, last year's NCAA Division II National Championship runner-up, got a run back on a RBI single by Colleen Smith in the bottom of the inning.

Mansfield added two more in the second when Bauder singled and scored on Pratt's home run over the left centerfield fence. It was the All-American's fourth home run of the season and extends her career record to 36 round-trippers.

Kutztown added one more run on a solo homer by Smith in the sixth before Pratt closed out the game picking up her fourth win in five decisions.

Simmeth went 2-4 with a double while Bauder was 2-2.

Mary Kociencki was charged with the loss.

In the nightcap, Crandell and Dominique Ficara were locked in a pitching duel with neither team scoring until Kutztown pushed across a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single by Jackie Hetzler aided by a couple of Mansfield errors.

Mansfield tied the game in the top of the sixth when Hanna Secord led off with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kayla Allen. Secord later scored on a single by Bauder.

With the game tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Mansfield got two runs with two outs when Simmeth singled and scored on a double by Bauder. One batter later, Pratt singled and Bauder scored when interference was called on the shortstop giving Mansfield a 3-1 lead.

Making the longest appearance of her career, Crandell struck out the first Kutztown batter in the bottom of the eighth before Smith singled. A walk by Sienko put runners on first and second with one out. Crandell dug down and got the next batter to fly out to left before striking out the final hitter swinging.

Bauder went 2-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Mansfield offense with Pratt also rapping out two hits including a double. Crandell improved to 4-3 on the season while throwing a career-high 116 pitches including 74 strikes.

Smith had two hits including a double for Kutztown. Ficara went to 7-7 with the loss.

It marks the first time the two programs have met since 2008 and the first sweep over Kutztown by the Mountaineers since a pair of shutouts late in the 2004 season.

Mansfield improves to 11-5 overall and 3-3 in the PSAC East.