Box Score

KUTZTOWN, PA - Tara Waldo (Pittsburgh/Baldwin) had three of the Crimson Hawks nine hits but it was a four-run first inning by Kutztown that ultimately proved to be the difference as IUP fell to the Golden Bears 5-2 in the championship of the 2012 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region 1 on Sunday afternoon in Kutztown.

The third-ranked team in the country, Kutztown (48-4) came out quick by getting its first two runners on, the first after a passed ball on a strikeout followed by a single. After a bunt moved both runners up, a single to center and an error on the next two batters brought the first runs home in the game.

The Golden Bears then got a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double in the inning to take an early 4-0 lead into the bottom of the first.

IUP would answer, as Marissa Leslie (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) and Monica Iachini (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) stretched out infield singles, and then each moved into scoring position on a Kutztown throwing error, its first of two in the inning. Megan McCormick (Evans City/Seneca Valley) followed with a deep sac fly to left, bringing Leslie across for IUP's first run while Iachini moved over to third on an errant throw to home.

Two batters later, the Crimson Hawks tacked on their second of the inning with a single by Waldo, scoring Iachini to make it a 4-2 ballgame after one.

The pace would slow down as Kelly King (Nazareth/Bethlehem Catholic) and Kutztown's Samantha Derr impressively worked their way out of jams over the next few innings. It was the fifth, however, that the Golden Bears struck again, as Derr helped herself with an RBI single to left to give Kutztown the 5-2 lead.

IUP continued to battle over the final three innings, collecting hits in each of the fifth and sixth innings but couldn't capitalize as runners were held to first base. In the seventh, Jen Beaver (Chester Springs/Owen J. Roberts) would try to get the rally going with a one-out single, but never reached second due to a fielder's choice putting two outs on the board. An error at first base gave IUP life with speedsters Leslie and Iachini on second and first, but Derr was able to get McCormick to ground out, ending the Crimson Hawks threat in the final inning.

Along with Waldo, Stefanie McCoy (New Paris/Chestnut Ridge) and Beaver also had multi-hit games, each going 2-for-3 on the day. King went the distance in the loss, striking out four and walking just one, as two of the five runs were earned as she finished the year with a 20-8 record.  

The loss ends the season for the Crimson Hawks, as they finished with a 31-14-1 overall record, and were crowned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) champions for the second straight season. It was also the third straight year of 30-wins for the program, as IUP has racked up a 107-34-1 record over the past three seasons.

The loss also ends the careers of Leslie, Iachini and McCormick, IUP's trio of seniors who have dotted themselves all through the program's record books.