Kutztown 3, California 2
Jackie Hetzler singled in Bri Knipe with two outs in the sixth inning to give Kutztown a 3-2 victory over California to conclude the opening day of the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament at Podbielski Field in Indiana, Pa.
The win puts the Golden Bears (40-14) into a winner’s bracket game against host IUP Saturday at 11 a.m. California (28-13) will play Winston-Salem State in an elimination game at 1:30.
With the game tied at 2, Knipe and Morgan Booth singled to put runners on first and third with one out in the top of the sixth. One out later, Hetzler singled to left to plate Knipe with what turned out to be the game-winning run. Kutztown pitcher Samantha Derr allowed only one infield hit over the final two innings to preserve the win for the Golden Bears.
Derr relieved starter Monica Glomb in the fifth and worked the final three innings, allowing only two hits to earn her 20th win of the season against nine losses. Hope Spancake went the distance for the Vulcans, surrendering nine hits while striking out five in dropping to 14-4.
Kutztown jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third, aided by a key error by the Vulcans. Hetzler led off with a double and scored when first baseman Sarah Spiering threw wildly to first on a sacrifice bunt by Jen Stow. Nicole Henninger doubled to left to plate Stow with the second run of the frame.
Spancake limited the damage by striking out Katie Lynch and Krista Tedjeske to strand pinch runner Nicole Colineri at second.
California tied it in the fourth with its first four hits of the game. After Natalie Wideman was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Jillian Russell reached on a bunt single and Alyson Johnson grounded a single through the middle to make it 2-1. Stephani Ellis singled to left with two outs to score Russell to tie the game.
The Vulcans left the bases loaded in the fourth and also had two on with one out in the fifth but could not break the tie.
