KUTZTOWN, Pa. - Annabella Putnam earned her 200th career strikeout as the Mansfield Mountaineers softball team traveled to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opponent No. 16 Kutztown (18-5, 2-2 PSAC East) for a Friday (Mar. 21) battle, with the Golden Bears picking up close home victories with a 5-2 game one win and a competitive 3-2 game two victory.

Caydence Macik and Sarah Shupp each went .500 (3-6) on the afternoon, with each grabbing an RBI and an extra base hit in a low scoring affair. 

Putnam became the seventh Mountaineer in program history to achieve this milestone and the first since Danie Goff.

GAME 1: #16 Kutztown 5 - Mansfield 2

Kutztown scored the first run in the bottom of the second behind an RBI single. 

Putnam reached her 200th career strikeout in the bottom of the third, striking out the first batter. 

Macik doubled down the left field line, scoring Aubrey Reinert to even the score in the top of the fourth. Madison Bailey added the lead changing run, driving in Alex Reisinger to give Mansfield (3-9, 1-3 PSAC East) the 2-1 advantage and putting the nationally ranked Golden Bears in surprise.

Kutztown tied the contest in the bottom of the inning with another RBI single. 

Three more runs were added to the scoreboard for the host, with a statement fifth inning to help solidify the first game of the series in a 5-2 victory. 

Kylie Bornman led the team with two hits and Macik, Bailey, and Sarah Shupp each added a hit to the Mountaineer total. 

GAME 2: #16 Kutztown 3 - Mansfield 2

The first inning plentiful of action in this close PSAC contest, with a Shupp RBI triple starting off the scoring, driving in Melissa Demo for the early edge. 

Emma Maurer stepped up to the plate to bring home another run for the red and black, with the 2-0 advantage from an RBI single to score Shupp.

Kutztown felt the pressure and came out swinging, matching the total runs with an RBI single and a wild pitch advancement to leave the first inning with a 2-2 lock.

Both pitchers stumped batters over the next three innings, with the Eastern Division battle still deadlocked into the fifth inning. 

The Golden Bears broke the tie with a bases loaded knock to bring home their third run of the game in the bottom of the fifth and holding off Mansfield in the final two innings to grab the home sweep in a close and competitive battle, 3-2. 

Shupp and Macik each collected two hits and Shupp picked up the first triple of the year for the Mountaineers.

Maurer and Reilly Storer combined for an impressive stint versus a nationally ranked team, posting six strikeouts. 

UP NEXT:  
Mansfield is back in action tomorrow (Mar. 22) for a doubleheader at Millersville University. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by game two with the Marauders expected to start at 3 p.m.