Boxscore
West Chester Game Story

Erin Holloway (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) finished off a dominating day in the circle, allowing two hits and striking out 11, and Kristen Tunno (Seaford, Va./Grafton) doubled in the tiebreaking run in the 10th to give IUP a 3-1 win over Kutztown and move within one win of the first PSAC softball championship in school history.

Earlier in the day, Holloway pitched a one-hit shutout and also fanned 11 in a 2-0 win over West Chester.  The Golden Rams came back to hand Kutztown a 2-0 loss, and the host Golden Bears were eliminated from the tournament with their loss to IUP in the last of three games Friday.

IUP will play West Chester at noon Saturday and needs one win to take the conference title. If the Golden Rams win, a decisive second game will be played immediately following.

IUP, ranked No. 17 in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, is 32-6 on the season, including 5-0 in the PSAC tournament.

With IUP down to its final three outs, Tunno singled to lead off the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Michelle Bivona (Thorndale, Pa./Coatesville). Raquel Rugani (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour ) followed with an RBI single to center to plate Tunno with the tying run. IUP had two on with one out but could not push across the winning run.

IUP also left two on in the ninth before Marissa Leslie (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) singled to lead off the 10th. Stefanie Poates got Leslie to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Tunno followed with her double to left to give the Crimson Hawks the lead. Bivona singled to center to score Tunno with an insurance run.

Holloway set down the Golden Bears in order in the bottom of the inning to wrap it up. She did not allow a hit after a leadoff double by Heather Hannum in the third.

Nicole Henninger reached Holloway for a solo homer leading off the second to give Kutztown a 1-0 lead, the first earned run allowed by the IUP senior righthander in five PSAC tournament games.

Holloway (21-3) has struck out 49 batters in IUP's five tournament games, including three last weekend in the semifinal round, and has increased her school-record totals to 72 wins, 97 complete games, 30 shutouts and 950 strikeouts.