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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Ladies set to compete for PSAC title

What: PSAC Softball Playoffs
When:
Thursday, May 1, 2008 – Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where:
Lawrence Field on the campus of Lock Haven University

Tournament Info
The KU softball team will head into the 2008 PSAC Playoffs as a favorite to bring home the conference title. The Golden Bears finished the regular season with a 44-10 overall record and won the PSAC East crown with an impressive 21-3 mark. KU will be the top seed in the East and one of six teams competing in the double elimination tournament.

The Golden Bears opening game will be at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. They will face the winner of the tournament’s first game, a 10 a.m. contest between California (Pa.) (2nd –West) and East Stroudsburg (3rd – East). Their second game will be on Friday at either noon or 2:30 p.m. depending upon what happens on Thursday.

The other teams competing for the title include Bloomsburg (2nd – East), Indiana (Pa.) (3rd – West), and Lock Haven (1st – West). BU and IUP will face off at noon on Thursday with the winner taking on LHU at 4:30.

The Golden Bears were a combined 7-5 against the five opposing playoff teams. This included 0-2 vs. Lock Haven, 2-2 vs. Bloomsburg, 3-1 vs. ESU, and 2-0 against IUP. They did not play California in 2008.

Of the six playoff teams, three are ranked nationally. Lock Haven is second, Bloomsburg is eighth, and KU is 16th.

Last season, KU was one strike away from winning the PSAC title before the eventual Division II Lock Haven Lady Eagles came back and stole the championship. After defeating ESU 6-1 in their first game of the tournament, the Golden Bears knocked off LHU 3-0 to position themselves one win away from the title. In their next game, KU led 5-2 with Lock Haven down to their last strike, but the Lady Eagles rallied and eventually won in 15 innings. The LHU win forced a grudge match for the PSAC title, which the Lady Eagles won 5-2.

The Golden Bears then participated in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which, like the PSACs, were held at North Campus Field. KU was without an ill Katlin Arbogast for a majority of the tournament and it showed on the scoreboard. The Golden Bears lost 2-0 to Edinboro in their first game before pummeling NC Central 21-0 in their second game. They were eliminated the next day when ESU beat them 11-10.

Probable Starting Lineup
1. 2B – Kim Morrison (.290-3-16)
The junior leadoff hitter toned down on the power this season, instead embracing her new role as a table setter for the meat of the order. She slumped at points during the regular season, but has hit well as of late, bringing her average back up to .290. Her .344 on-base percentage is not where it should be for a leadoff hitter, but she has shown improvement in her first season batting high in the order. She has stolen 7 bases in 8 attempts.

2. LF – Maria Schiavo (.320-0-17)
Schiavo is one of the nation’s best in the sacrifice hit category and has been an exceptional two-hitter since her arrival at KU one season ago. Her .320 batting average is fourth best on the team, but she is relied on primarily for her ability to lay down good bunts. Her average of 0.39 sacrifice hits per game ranks her 11th in division II.

3. 1B – Steph Denlinger (.362-15-53)
Denlinger is one of the most feared hitters in division II softball and likely will receive multiple free passes in the playoffs. The junior lefty leads the team with 15 homers and is second with 53 RBIs. She is 19th in DII in homers per game, 17th in walks per game, and 32nd in slugging percentage. When she gets a chance to hit, there is a good chance it will be a homer. However, don’t be surprised if she is intentionally walked on several occasions. Fortunately for her, she has excellent protection in Fitzgerald, which forces opponents to pitch to her.

4. CA/SS – Ashley Fitzgerald (.456-14-54)
The junior cleanup hitter will be the primary catcher, but could see some work at shortstop. Her .456 batting average is tops in the PSAC and 24th best in DII. She is also 8th in DII in doubles per game (0.43), and 10th in slugging percentage (.863). Her team-leading 1.385 OPS is off the charts and really shows how dominant of a hitter she is. Teams will look to walk Denlinger, but it won’t be any easier with Fitzgerald at the plate.

5. 3B – Krista Cameron (.341-5-35)
Cameron might be one to watch in this tournament. The team’s six hitter had five hits in the PSAC tournament last year, homered twice, and had at least one run scored and one RBI in each of the team’s four games. Her home run total has taken quite a dip this season, but she has had yet another solid season as the team’s third baseman and five hitter.

6. DP/CA – Caitlin Hague (.272-1-12)
Hague, one of two seniors on the roster, will likely bat sixth, but has been in rotation with Tedjeske and Reifsnyder all season long. She will be the primary designated player and could catch a game or two. Her .272 batting average is just eighth among the team’s starting nine, but she is a solid hitter with invaluable playoff experience.

7. SS – Krista Tedjeske (.258-2-21)
The freshman shortstop has done a respectable job in 47 starts in her rookie season. Her .258 average is lowest among the starting nine, but she’s done a nice job providing runs with 21 RBIs, which ties her for fourth best on the team, and two homers. She will be looking to improve on making contact as she leads the team with 31 strikeouts.

8. RF – Maggie Reifsnyder (.278-4-10)
Reifsnyder has missed KU’s last five games due to an injury she suffered against Lock Haven last Tuesday, but is expected to be at 100 percent come Thursday. The freshman is hitting a respectable .278 and has four homers, which is fifth highest on the team despite not playing full time until midway through the season.

9. CF – Kathy Gregg (.312-6-21)
Gregg, one of two seniors on the roster, is one of the team’s best hitters, but is slotted in the nine hole in order to get on base for the top of the order. Her six homers are third best on the team and is one of five Golden Bears above the .300 batting average mark. Her 21 RBIs tie her for fourth on the team and she has a team-high nine steals in nine attempts. Her 29 strikeouts (second worst on the team) are a bit troublesome.

Key Reserves
OF Angela Domenici (.222-0-3)
While Reifsnyder was out, Domenici filled in the right field spot. The freshman is the top reserve in the outfield, but has just 27 at-bats this season.

DP Tami Wambold (.160-0-2)
Wambold could be used as the designated player, but if anything, is more likely to see a pinch hit appearance or two. She doesn’t provide much in the contact department, but when she does get a hold of a pitch, there’s a good chance it’ll go a long way.

PR Emily Fazekas (.154-0-1)
Fazekas is the team’s top pinch runner and is likely to have opportunities to score big runs for KU in this tournament.

PR Alex Najpauer (.182-0-4)
Najpauer is another player coach Judy Lawes will go to if she needs a pinch runner.

Probable Pitching Rotation
1. Kait Arbogast (22-6 1.47)
Arbogast is one of the top pitchers in the PSAC and has already rewritten most of the KU pitching record book as a sophomore. She is 14th in DII in strikeouts per seven innings (9.4), 24th in wins (22), 22nd in saves (3), and 24th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.58). She is the team’s ace and will likely pitch a majority of the team’s innings in the playoffs.

2. Monica Glomb (10-4 2.02)
A freshman, Glomb has started 14 games for KU this season. She pitched well most of the season, but was lit up by Lock Haven last Tuesday, which could cause concerns if she is called on against tough teams in the playoffs. Regardless of that bad outing, she has shown she is an effective pitcher and should be okay if she gets the nod.

3. Mary Hoch (9-0 1.61)
Hoch is another freshman who has done an outstanding job in the pitching department this season. She has yet to lose in 20 appearances (10 starts), but also got banged around a bit by LHU. Hoch will likely see some work in the tournament and it will be interesting to see how she holds up against the conference’s top teams.

Outlook
The Golden Bears will be one of the favorites in the tournament and they have arguably the best offense of the six teams. Unfortunately for them, Lock Haven seems to have their number and they will need to find a way to overcome the Lady Eagles if they have any plans of competing at the national level. Lock Haven won the national championship in 2006 and was the runner-up in 2007. If KU can get some momentum and knock them off, there is no telling how far they can go.

One thing to remember about this tournament is that it is really just a tune up for the Regional Tournament. Five teams from the PSAC will likely be invited to the tournament, which is likely to be hosted by Kutztown. Technically, it doesn’t matter how KU fares in PSACs, since they will need to win the regional tournament to get to Nationals. With that said, the PSACs are an excellent opportunity for them to get the monkey of their back and prove to themselves that they can beat Lock Haven.

If Katlin Arbogast is on her game and the offense is as good as advertised, KU will be a contender for the PSAC title right down to the finish.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Cinderella baseball team aims for PSAC title

What: PSAC Baseball Playoffs
When:
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 – Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where:
Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA

Team Info
The KU baseball team will head into this week’s PSAC playoffs looking to turn its improbable last season run into a division championship. The Golden Bears enter the postseason at 25-23 overall and qualified for the playoffs with an 11-9 record against PSAC East opponents, which was good enough for the second seed. KU entered the final weekend of the regular season with grim playoff hopes, but managed to stun the PSAC with wins in three of four games against nationally-ranked West Chester.

The Golden Bears opening playoff game will be against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Thursday. IUP went 36-17 this season, including 13-7 in the PSAC West. The teams have not met since 1997.

The Golden Bears will play twice on Thursday. If they beat IUP, they play at 6 p.m. and if they lose, they will go at it at 3 p.m. The tournament is double elimination.

The two other first round playoff games are Millersville (1st – East) vs. Slippery Rock (3rd – West) and Shippensburg (1st – West) vs. West Chester (3rd – East).

The Golden Bears were 1-3 against Millersville this season, 2-0 vs. Shippensburg, 3-1 against West Chester, and did not play Slippery Rock.

Last season, KU defeated Shippensburg in the first round of the PSAC playoffs before falling in back-to-back games to East Stroudsburg and California (Pa.), which eliminated them from the tournament. The Golden Bears did, however, go on to win the North Atlantic Region Championship. The regional championship qualified them for the Division II World Series, but they were eliminated in just two games.

Probable Starting Lineup
1. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
2. Mike Kacelowicz – 2B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Jared Frey – 1B
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Mike Dugan – 3B/DH
8. Garrison Rausch – CF
9. Mark Renda/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT

Probable Pitching Rotation
1. Darin Gorski
2. Phil Rummel
3. Derek Reis
4. Garrison Rausch

KU Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.383-5-34). He leads the team in batting average, RBIs, runs scored (39), slugging percentage (.596), and on base percentage (.480). Jared Frey (.282-0-17) has progressed nicely in his second season and will man first base and bat in the top half of the order. Scott Kacelowicz (.298-0-9) and Matt Kulbacki (.299-7-29) have been a formidable catching combination and each will see time behind the plate. Kulbacki leads the team in homers and is second in RBIs and slugging percentage (.523). James Quigley (.329-0-12) will cleanup and is second on the team in hitting despite missing nearly half of the team’s games due to injury. Corey Buletza (.301-1-21) is the favorite to lead off and is second on the team with 15 stolen bases. Mike Kacelowicz (.302-1-17) has lifted his average back above .300 and is tops on the team with 17 doubles and 22 walks. He will bat second and play second base. Garrison Rausch (.188-0-8) will man center and bat in the lower part of the order. Mike Dugan (.291-1-17) and Brett Wigder (.289-0-18) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen and will see time in the infield. Jeff Kistle (.230-0-10), Mark Renda (.250-0-16), Nole Saylor (.286-1-7), and Andy May (.311-1-9) are four other freshman who will see a few at-bats and spot starts during the tournament. Renda leads KU with 17 steals this season.

The team’s strength is its pitching and the anchor of that staff in 2008 has been the lefty Darin Gorski (8-2 2.19). Gorski has been one of the PSAC’s best pitchers this season and joins with Phil Rummel (4-5 3.42) to form one of the league’s best pitching duos. Derick Reis (3-2 2.89) has been outstanding this season and could see a start in the tournament. Garrison Rausch (1-3 6.57) has started seven games in 2008, but has struggled in a majority of those outings. Trent Mertz (1-0 2.08) will be counted on as a relief pitcher as he leads the team in ERA in 17.1 innings of work out of the bullpen this year. Justin Jachowicz (0-3 3.44), Ryan Cassidy (1-2 5.19), Mike Bucklin (2-0 3.60), Steve Craig (2-1 7.04), Jason Herr (0-2 3.60), Jordan Smith (1-1 5.02), Anthony Fegely (1-1 2.89), and Mike Moran (1-1 4.86) round out the pitching staff and several of them could see a few innings out of the pen.

Outlook
The Golden Bears aren’t the team that everyone feared in 2007, but teams are likely to take them more seriously now they knocked off a top team like West Chester three times in four tries. It will not be easy against the PSAC’s top teams, but KU has the pitching to make a run. If Gorski, Rummel, and Reis pitch how they have all season and the young offense can extend their recent hot streak into the playoffs, there is no telling how far this team can advance.

As mentioned earlier, KU is a combined 6-4 against the four playoff teams they’ve faced earlier this season. The team has proven it can show up for big games and the Golden Bears also have the advantage of a few veterans who played at the national level a season ago. That experience, along with an excellent coaching staff led by Chris Blum, could give KU an advantage against the less playoff experienced teams in the tournament.

On the other hand, we have to remember that KU’s starting lineup will be almost half made up of freshmen. Of the players likely to see significant action in the upcoming week, only Mike Kacelowicz and Chad Lightcap were everyday players a season ago. The young crop of players is full of talent, but experience can mean a lot come playoff time.

In all likelihood, the success of KU will likely hinge on the aforementioned offense. The pitching isn’t much of a question mark, so that should keep the opposing offenses at bay. However, many of the Golden Bears’ losses this year were by scores of 2-0, 3-1, 4-0, etc. The offense has been much better as of late and if it can provide enough run support for the pitching staff, KU could be a sleeper pick in the PSAC.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Playoff fields set

The PSAC playoff fields are set for both baseball and softball. Both KU teams qualified for the postseason, with the softball team winning the PSAC East, while the baseball team needed some late season heroics to manage a playoff bid. Both playoff tournaments begin later this week.

Softball Playoff Teams
East 1. Kutztown 21-3
East 2. Bloomsburg 19-5
East 3. East Stroudsburg 11-13
West 1. Lock Haven 19-1
West 2. California (Pa.) 12-8
West 3. Indiana (Pa.) 12-8

Softball Playoff Schedule
May 1-3 @ Lock Haven University
Thursday, May 1:
Gm 1 - 10 am: E Stroudsburg 9 vs California 0
Gm 2 - Noon: Bloomsburg 3 vs IUP 1
Gm 3 - 2:30 pm: Kutztown 3 (0-0) vs ESU (1-0) 0
Gm 4 - 4:30 pm: Lock Haven (0-0) 3 vs Bloomsburg (1-0) 0
Friday, May 2:
Gm 5 - 10 am: California (0-1) 0 vs IUP (0-1) 1
Gm 6 - Noon: Bloomsburg (1-1) 1 vs ESU (1-1) 0
Gm7 - 2:30 pm: Kutztown (1-0) 0 vs Lock Haven (1-0) 5
Gm 8 - 4:30 pm: IUP (1-1) 0 vs Bloomsburg (2-1) 6
Saturday, May 3:
Gm 9 - 11 am: Bloomsburg (3-1) 2 vs Kutztown (1-1) 0
Gm 10 - 1 pm: Lock Haven (2-0) 3 vs Bloomsburg (4-1) 0
*Lock Haven wins PSAC Championship*


Baseball Playoff Teams
East 1. Millersville 12-8
East 2. Kutztown 11-9
East 3. West Chester 11-9
West 1. Shippensburg 14-6
West 2. Indiana (Pa.) 13-7
West 3. Slippery Rock 12-8

Baseball Playoff Schedule
Apr. 30-May 3 @ Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA
Wednesday, April 30
Game 1 - 4 p.m.
Millersville 5 vs Slippery Rock 3
Game 2 - 7 p.m.
Shippensburg 0 vs West Chester 7

Thursday, May 1
Game 3 - 9 a.m.
Kutztown 4 vs IUP 3
Game 4 - noon
West Chester (1-0) 5 vs Slippery Rock (0-1) 2
Game 5 - 3 p.m.
Shippensburg 8 (0-1) vs IUP (0-1) 3
Game 6 - 6 p.m.
Kutztown (1-0) 9 vs Millersville (1-0) 2

Friday, May 2
Game 7 - noon
West Chester (2-0) 1 vs Kutztown (2-0) 0
Game 8 - 3:30 p.m.
Shippensburg (1-1) 8 vs Millersville (1-1) 13
Game 9 - 7 p.m.
Kutztown (2-1) 8 vs Millersville (2-1) 7

Saturday, May 3
Game 10 - 1 p.m.
West Chester (3-0) 2 vs Kutztown (3-1) 6
Game 11 - 4:30 p.m.
West Chester (3-1) 7 vs Kutztown (4-1) 8
*Kutztown wins PSAC Championship*

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bears more Golden than the Rams

The baseball team swept #14 West Chester by scores of 8-2 and 8-3 on Saturday, clinching them a spot in the PSAC playoffs. KU will be an unlikely playoff team after taking 3-of-4 from division-leading WCU this weekend. The Golden Rams will be the three seed after Mansfield fell to Bloomsburg 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

PSAC East Standings
1. Millersville 12-8* (0)
2. Kutztown 11-9* (0)
3. West Chester 11-9 (0)
4. Mansfield 10-9 (1)
5. Bloomsburg 7-12 (1)
6. East Stroudsburg 8-12 (0)

*Clinched Playoff Berth
(#) Games left

In softball news, KU beat West Chester 4-2 and 6-0 to clinch the regular season PSAC East title. The Golden Bears will be a number one seed in next weekend's PSAC Playoffs. They finish the regular season 21-3 in the PSAC East and 44-10 overall.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Friday Update

Softball swept Shippensburg (W 7-0, W 9-0)
Baseball split with West Chester (L 0-2, W 13-3)

Softball clinches at least a share of the PSAC East title with the sweep.

Mansfield's baseball team swept Bloomsburg, which puts them one game ahead of KU. The Golden Bears (9-9) can clinch playoff spot with a home sweep of West Chester tomorrow.

Playoffs on line as baseball faces WCU

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ West Chester Golden Rams
When:
Friday, April 25, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
Serpico Stadium on the campus of West Chester University
~and~
What:
West Chester Golden Rams @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When:
Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio:
KUR Sports at 12:50 p.m. (Jason Ogle)

Game Info
The KU baseball team has just four games left to find a way back to the PSAC Playoffs. The Golden Bears (8-8) currently are tied for the third and final playoff spot in the Eastern division, but it won’t be easy to hold on with division-leading West Chester (10-6) in the other dugout this weekend. Millersville (10-6) is currently tied with WCU in first place, while Mansfield (8-8) is tied with KU for the third spot. Bloomsburg (6-10) and East Stroudsburg (6-10) can still qualify for the playoffs. What is interesting about this weekend is that the Golden Bears could come out, at best, the PSAC East champion or, at worst, in last place. As unlikely as it is, all six teams could also end up with identical 10-10 records. Imagine that.

The teams will meet for two games on Friday afternoon in West Chester before returning to Kutztown for each team’s final regular season action of the year.

Meanwhile, Bloomsburg will be up against Mansfield and ESU will meet Millersville. There are several different scenarios where KU can get into the playoffs, but the most important part of them includes the Golden Bears winning at least two of the weekend’s four games. Wins in three of the games would clinch them a spot.

The Golden Bears enter the game at 22-20 overall this season and are fresh off a 4-2 win against Shippensburg on Tuesday. Their most recent divisional action was last weekend when they took three-of-four from East Stroudsburg. On Friday at ESU, KU dropped game one 1-2 before bouncing back to an 11-6 win in game two. On Saturday at North Campus Field, the Golden Bears won both games by scores of 2-0 and 10-3.

The Golden Rams are ranked 14th in Division II and are 37-9 overall in 2008. They are coming off a 12-2 in over University of the Sciences on Thursday. There most recent PSAC East action was four-game set with Bloomsburg last weekend in which they split the four games. On Friday, the Golden Rams fell 8-3 in game one before taking game two 10-3. On Saturday, they won game one 3-2 before falling 10-7 in game two.

Last season, the teams met five times, including once during the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regionals. KU took three of the four regular season matchups, including 8-4 and 3-2 wins at home and a 4-5 loss and 9-3 win on the road. In the playoffs, KU easily handled the Golden Rams 9-1 to win the North Atlantic Regional Tournament.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
2. Mike Kacelowicz – 2B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Jared Frey – 1B
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Mike Dugan – 3B/DH
8. Garrison Rausch – CF
9. Mark Renda/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis

West Chester:
1. Nick Spisak – SS
2. Frank Nunan – CF
3. Matt Cotellese – RF
4. Kyle Bechter – 2B
5. Blair Dameron – 1B
6. Drew Pare – DH
7. Connor Thorp – LF
8. Brandon Wolfe – CA
9. Jake Griesemer – 3B
SPs: Chris Powl, Jason Bowman, David Slusser, Bret Moyer

KU Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.398-5-27). He leads the team in batting average, homers, RBIs, runs scored (32), slugging percentage (.626), and on base percentage (.493). Jared Frey (.305-0-15) has progressed nicely in his second season and will man first base and bat in the top half of the order. Scott Kacelowicz (.310-0-8) and Matt Kulbacki (.308-5-23) have been a formidable catching combination and each will start one game. Mike Dugan (.290-1-14), Brett Wigder (.296-0-18), James Quigley (.299-0-7), and Corey Buletza (.287-1-16) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen. Leadoff man Mike Kacelowicz (.307-1-16) has lifted his average back above .300 and is tops on the team with 15 doubles and 21 walks. Jeff Kistle (.223-0-10), Mark Renda (.252-0-15), Nole Saylor (.259-0-5), and Andy May (.317-1-6) are four other freshman who will see a few at-bats during the weekend. Garrison Rausch (.174-0-7) will man center and bat in the lower part of the order.

Darin Gorski (7-2 2.30), Phil Rummel (4-4 2.98), Derick Reis (2-2 2.82), and Garrison Rausch (1-3 6.03) are likely to be the weekend’s four starters. Justin Jachowicz (0-3 3.24), Ryan Cassidy (1-2 5.17), and Steve Craig (2-1 4.09) are other candidates to make a spot start if needed.

Outlook
It is do-or-die time for the Golden Bears. West Chester is one of the nation’s best teams, but fortunately for KU, they haven’t been on top of their game over the past few weeks. They are certainly beatable and since these two teams have built quite a rivalry, there is no reason to believe that anything can happen this weekend. It’s probably a long shot, but if KU can sweep, it’s possible that WCU could even fall out of the top three in the division.

With all that said, West Chester is still a veteran team with a lot of talent. KU will need to take it one game at a time and at least win half of the four games. The Golden Bears have the pitching to steal a few low scoring games, but if the Golden Rams have a big offensive weekend, it could mean trouble. The young KU offense will need to perform and the veteran pitchers need to step up and continue their dominance. If that happens, the Golden Bears could certainly be playoff bound.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Ladies eye PSAC East crown

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ Shippensburg Red Raiders
When:
Friday, April 25, 2008 @ 2:30 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
Robb Field on the campus of Shippensburg University
~and~
What:
Kutztown Golden Bears @ West Chester Golden Rams
When:
Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
West Chester Softball Field on the campus of West Chester University

Game Info
The KU softball team will head into this weekend’s road trip looking to seal up the PSAC East division title. The Golden Bears have already clinched a playoff spot and lead second-place Bloomsburg by two games with just two doubleheaders left to play. KU will head to Shippensburg for two games on Friday afternoon, before heading back east to West Chester for another doubleheader on Saturday.

KU (17-3) needs to win at least two of those games to clinch at least a share of the PSAC East regular season division title. Bloomsburg (15-5) has also clinched a spot in the postseason and will be looking to dethrone KU atop the division. With two of the three playoff spots in the east accounted for, the race will be on for the final spot. Conveniently, KU will be playing two of the major contenders for that spot. West Chester (10-10) currently holds the third seed, but they are being followed closely by Shippensburg (9-11) and East Stroudsburg (9-13). Mansfield (6-14) and Millersville (6-16) have been eliminated.

The Golden Bears are 40-10 overall this season and are ranked 19th in Division II. They are coming off Tuesday’s home doubleheader with Lock Haven in which they fell by scores of 2-1 and 16-0. KU’s latest division action was a doubleheader sweep of East Stroudsburg on Saturday by scores of 10-1 and 6-2.

Shippensburg enters this weekend’s games after dropping two straight at West Chester on Tuesday by scores of 7-6 and 2-1. The Lady Raiders are 26-22 overall this season, but have dropped four straight games and 11 of their last 16. These teams met at North Campus Field back on April 7 with KU taking both games of the doubleheader by scores of 6-5 and 2-0.

West Chester, as mentioned, knocked off Shippensburg on Saturday to overtake them in the race for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East. The Golden Rams are 31-16 overall this season and have won seven of their last 10. On April 11, KU swept the Golden Rams at North Campus Field by scores of 4-0 and 4-2.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/SS
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
7. Krista Tedjeske – SS
8. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Shippensburg:
1. Liz Good – RF
2. Sarah Stengle – LF/DH
3. Hope Cornell – SS
4. Lori Knopf – DH/1B
5. Lisamarie Ramagli – 1B/CA
6. Moira Johnson – 3B
7. Amanda Bardo – 2B
8. Jillian Mullan/Chelsea
Carson – OF
9. Rachel Wedell – CA/3B
SPs: Lori Knopf & Danielle Shields

West Chester:
1. Tara Colantuono – CF
2. Stefani Kerbacher – RF
3. Jamie McComb – DH
4. Megan Harbaugh – 1B
5. Erin MacNamee – LF
6. Meghan Halberstadt – 3B
7. Alisha DiMarzio – CA
8. Kelsey Rapp/Jackie DiPaola – 2B
9. Kristin McCoy – SS
SPs: Ashley Saussaman & Shannon Padula

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears will look to the pitching trifecta of Kait Arbogast (18-6 1.66), Monica Glomb (10-4 2.02), and Mary Hoch (9-0 1.66) to keep them in games, while counting on the high-octane offense to power them to victories. Steph Denlinger (.366-12-46), Ashley Fitzgerald (.448-14-49), and Krista Cameron (.327-5-32) can all hit the ball out of the park at any given moment and they will need to provide that power this weekend. Kim Morrison (.259-3-16) struggled at the plate earlier this season, but has been better as of late and will continue to lead off. Maria Schiavo (.299-0-14) has seen her batting average dip as of late, but is an excellent sacrifice bunter and another threat to set the table with a big hit at any time. Krista Tedjeske (.237-2-16), Caitlin Hague (.292-1-12), and Maggie Reifsnyder (.278-4-10) have been taking turns hitting in the six through eight spots in the order and that trend will continue until one of the players hits on a consistent basis. Right now, the senior Hague has been the hot hitter and will likely stay in the six spot for now. Kathy Gregg (.306-6-21) could easily hit neat the top of the KU order and will provide a lot of offense out of the nine hole.

The Raiders are likely to turn to the pitching duo of Danielle Shields and Lori Knopf, who will each likely get a start on Friday. Shields (12-7 1.92) leads the pitching staff with 101 strikeouts and is allowing opposing hitters to bat just .216 against her. Knopf (8-7 2.46) has struck out 79 and opponents are batting .227 against her. Both are respectable pitchers, but neither has pitched well over the past few weeks.

Knopf (.371-4-32) also does it as the plate, leading the team in batting average and doubles (13). Hope Cornell (.345-7-36) leads the team in homers, RBIs, and runs (31). Courtney Steele (.323-6-19), Chelsea Carson (.277-0-5), Sarah Stengl (.265-0-18), Jillian Mullan (.265-0-6), and Rachelle Wedell (.262-0-11) are among the other regulars hitting above the .250 mark.

West Chester’s ace is that of Shannon Padula (23-8 1.95), who will see action in at least one of Saturday’s games. She has pitched 190 innings this season for WCU, 130 more than runner-up Ashley Saussaman (4-3 1.40). Brittany Rees (2-1 2.78) and Megan Graham (2-4 5.54) are other pitching options for the Golden Rams.

Megan Harbaugh (.417-7-37) is the team’s top hitter, leading the Rams in batting average, homers, and RBIs. Stefani Kerbacher (.340-0-9) leads the team with 41 runs scored and with 15 steals. Other top-hitting Golden Rams include Erin MacNamee (.392-1-28), Meghan Halberstad (.323-0-13), Tara Colantuono (.313-2-24), Jamie McComb (.310-0-33), and Katie Kmiencinski (.303-1-16).

Outlook
If Saturday evening rolls around and KU is not the PSAC East regular season champion, it will be a big disappointment. The Golden Bears dominated divisional play for the most part and a collapse this weekend would be heartbreaking. Normally, there would be no reason for concern, but it will be interesting to see how the ladies bounce back from losses in four of their last six games, including a 2-1 heartbreaker to Lock Haven and a 16-0 shellacking at the hands of LHU.

If the Golden Bears struggle again this weekend against two quality teams, they will have a tough time contending with anyone in the playoffs. It’s not very often that a team in any league at any level can back into the playoffs and contend. KU can take last week’s struggles and learn from them. They breezed through much of the season, but now they are getting a taste of what level they need to be at if they hope to compete at the regional, and maybe even, the national level.

We know the Golden Bears have the talent to win all four games this weekend, but with Shippensburg and West Chester battling it out for the last playoff spot, every game will count for them. They will be pulling out all the stops in order to squeeze a win out of KU. The ladies need to realize this and treat these games like a playoff tune up. A few big games this weekend in a playoff environment will do wonders come the playoffs in early May.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rough week for KU softball

Ladies swept by Bloomsburg and Lock Haven, drop to 19th in Division II

Recap:

Tuesday, April 22 vs. #2 Lock Haven:
Game 1: L 1-2
They say history tends to repeat itself and game one certainly proved “them” right. Just like a season ago with a PSAC playoff game on the line, the Lady Eagles were down to their last strike before managing a comeback win over KU. This time it was LHU’s Britt Muthard blasting a two-out, two-strike Kait Arbogast pitch over the left center field fence to put the Lady Eagles ahead 2-1 in the top of the seventh. KU could not answer in the bottom of the inning and LHU held on for the 2-1 win in game one.

Loss aside, Arbogast had a stellar outing, allowing just two earned runs on six hits in a complete game effort. KU managed six hits against Kristin Erb, Division II’s top pitcher. Kim Morrison, Maria Schiavo, Ashley Fitzgerald, Caitlin Hague, Krista Tedjeske, and Kathy Gregg each had one hit. Schiavo had an RBI single that scored Maggie Reifsnyder.

Game 2: L 0-16
Three freshman pitchers combined to allow 16 runs, eight earned, on 16 hits in game two, as Lock Haven rocked KU 16-0 in five innings. Monica Glomb started the game, was replaced by Mary Hoch, re-entered the game, and then retired for the day in favor of Lauren Doering. The KU defense was not very helpful, committing five errors in the loss. KU had just one hit against Kristin Erb, a single in the fourth inning by Kim Morrison, which ended Erb’s bid for a perfect game.

What we liked:
If you’ve been following this rivalry since last May, this might make you laugh out loud, but I’m going to say it anyways: At least we know it’s possible for the Golden Bears to beat Lock Haven.

Last season, not only did KU beat Kristin Erb once, they also were one strike away from beating her twice. On Tuesday, the Golden Bears were, again, one strike away from beating her, before another last ditch effort resulted in a miracle win for the Lady Eagles. That couldn’t possibly happen a third time…could it?

The offense looked decent in game one, building scoring opportunities in almost every inning. Unfortunately, Erb got herself out of every jam except one—and that was partially due to an error by her right fielder. These teams are likely to meet again come playoff time and regardless of yesterday’s sweep, KU is more than capable of beating Erb and the Lady Eagles. They just need to catch a few breaks.

What we didn’t like:
I was extremely disappointed with the effort in game two. The Golden Bears came into the first game with a lot of enthusiasm and confidence, but after the late LHU win, KU came out sloppy in game two and never seemed to have a chance. Lock Haven jumped all over the young KU pitching staff for 16 runs including two grand slams.

Come the playoffs, not only will the freshmen pitchers need to be a lot better, the offense is going to have to find ways to manufacture runs against Erb. The offense was nowhere to be found and the defense was as flat as ever. Five errors in five innings is not going to cut it for a team that has hopes to compete on the national level.

If the sweep by Bloomsburg was your average, everyday wake up call, this sweep by Lock Haven should serve as a bucket of freezing cold water, a slap in the face, an 80 pound dog on the bed, or a trio of infants jumping on the bed screaming on Christmas morning. As the playoffs draw near, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Impact:
The new NFCA Division II rankings were released Wednesday morning, but did not include the results of the doubleheader with Lock Haven. Last week’s losses to Bloomsburg did cost KU, however, as they fell from 10th to 19th in the poll. Meanwhile, Lock Haven dropped one spot to third and Bloomsburg jumped back up to tenth.

The Golden Bears (17-3) have already clinched a playoff spot and are still in line to win the PSAC East, as they hold a two-game lead over Bloomsburg (15-5). KU has four games still to play—a set of doubleheaders at Shippensburg and West Chester this Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Golden Bears, now 40-10 overall this season, will then head to a PSAC West team’s campus (site yet to be determined) for the PSAC Tournament before competing in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which will likely be hosted by KU during the second weekend in May.

Senior Day Photos

Here are four photos taken by Tony Vazquez on Tuesday during the Senior Day festivities at North Campus Field.
(From top to bottom)
1. 2008 Team Photo
2. The Canadians. (L to R: Fitzgerald, Morrison, Cameron, Doering)
3. Senior DP/CA Caitlin Hague
4. Senior CF Kathy Gregg

Baseball moves back into playoff race

Recap:
Friday, April 18 @ East Stroudsburg:
Game 1: L 1-2

The Golden Bears had as many errors as hits in game one, which allowed the Warriors to escape with a 2-1 victory. KU had just three hits—one a piece from Mike Kacelowicz, Matt Kulbacki, and Garrison Rausch. The three errors were costly as they spoiled a stellar outing by Phil Rummel, who tossed a complete game, allowing two unearned runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Game 2: W 11-6

The Kacelowicz brothers were a perfect 6-of-6 at the plate, which helped lead KU to a bounce back win in game two by a score of 11-6. Mike Kacelowicz, hitting out of the two-hole for the first time this season, was 4-of-4 with two runs and two RBIs. His brother Scott was 2-of-2 at the plate and had three RBIs. Matt Kulbacki was 3-for-3 and Brett Wigder was 2-of-4. Garrison Rausch was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings.
Saturday, April 19 vs. East Stroudsburg:
Game 1: W 2-0
Darin Gorski continued his sensational 2008 season with a complete game, three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win in game one on Saturday. The KU offense managed just four hits, but a fourth inning two-run double by Jared Frey was all the support Gorski would need. Corey Buletza, Mike Kacelowicz, and Chad Lightcap had KU’s other three hits.
Game 2: W 10-3

Derek Reis got spanked in the top of the first inning, allowing three quick ESU runs, but the KU offense responded with three runs of it’s own in the bottom of the frame. Reis would then cruise through the rest of the day as his offense exploded to nine hits en route to a 10-3 KU win. Reis was the winning pitcher, allowing just the three first inning runs on four hits in five innings of work. Lightcap and Mike Kacelowicz led the offense with two hits a piece. Lightcap, leading off for the first time this season, had two RBIs and three runs scored.

What we liked:
Following the loss in game one of the four-game set, the Golden Bears had their backs up against the wall. The situation was basically win the next three games, or forget about the playoffs. Not only did the Golden Bears win all three games, but they dominated all three of them in some way. Darin Gorski dominated one of the wins, while the young offense finally exploded in the other two affairs. This was a great sign, as both the pitching staff and offense will need to be on top of their game when they play for their playoff lives this weekend against West Chester.

Offensively, Mike Kacelowicz erased any memories of his mid-season slump, tearing the cover off the ball over the four game set. He was 8-of-12 (.667) at the plate, scored four runs, and drove in three. Matt Kulbacki caught two games and finally got a chance to DH another (it’s about time the way he’s hitting the ball). He was 4-of-8 (.500) at the plate and scored twice. Scott Kacelowicz had a big game on Saturday and was 2-for-4 (.500) with three RBIs and two runs scored on the weekend. Chad Lightcap was well below his average at 3-for-11 (.273), but scored four times. Jared Frey was only 3-of-13 (.231) at the plate, but drove in a team-high six runs and also scored twice.

I don’t have to say much more about how good Gorski looked on Saturday, but the other three starters were not far behind. Phil Rummel did not allow an earned run in his start on Friday and Derek Reis retired 11 straight after a disastrous first inning on Saturday. Garrison Rausch, who has struggled in 2008, improved his ERA and got a win on Friday when he allowed three runs in five innings.

What we didn’t like:
There were a lot of positives this weekend, so there isn’t much to say here. The Golden Bears really could’ve used that win in game on Friday, but the three errors were very costly. If KU misses the playoffs by a game, we could look back at that one and wonder what if. The offense was much better this weekend, but there were a notable few exceptions. After returning from injury a few weeks ago, James Quigley got off to a great start. However, he has struggled as of late in the cleanup spot and was just 1-of-5 (.200) with one RBI this weekend. Corey Buletza saw some work in the leadoff position (a place I could certainly see him getting a lot of time at down the road), but was just 2-of-10 (.200) at the plate this past weekend. Others who struggled at the dish included Garrison Rausch 1-of-5 (.200), Mike Dugan 1-of-7 (.143), and Jeff Kistle 1-of-10 (.100).

Impact:
The three wins improved KU’s divisional record to 8-8, which puts them in a tie with Mansfield for the final playoff spot in the PSAC East. West Chester and Millersville both sit at 10-6 atop the division, but both can be dethroned this weekend. KU will be at West Chester, ranked 14th in division II, for a doubleheader on Friday and will then host a doubleheader against those same Golden Rams on Saturday at North Campus Field. Mansfield will play four with Bloomsburg (6-10) and ESU (6-10) will be at Millersville.

Both of those matchups will impact KU’s attempt to hang on for playoff spot, but the Golden Bears can help themselves. They will need to beat West Chester at least twice to stay ahead of Mansfield or ESU. If the Golden Bears take three-of-four from the Golden Rams, they would end up tied with the Golden Rams and would hold the tiebreaker. Previously this season, KU split with Bloomsburg and Mansfield, lost three of four to Millersville, and, of course, most recently took three of four from ESU.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

KU swept by #2 Lady Eagles

Down to it's last strike in game one, Lock Haven's Britt Muthard hit a 2-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to beat KU 2-1. The letdown carried over to game two as the Lady Eagles, ranked second in the nation, pounded the 10th-ranked Golden Bears 16-0 in five innings.

Check back for a full recap tomorrow.

Monday, April 21, 2008

#10 Kutztown set to host #2 Lock Haven

What: Lock Haven Bald Eagles @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 @ 2:30 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio:
Golden Bear Network at 2:20 p.m. (Mike Clay, Joe Balco)

Game Info
As most of you avid readers know, I normally only write up previews for the PSAC East games. This doubleheader, however, is an exception, as it deserves loads of attention.

The 10th-ranked Kutztown University softball team will play host to the 2nd-ranked Lock Haven Lady Eagles on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. The Golden Bears enter the game at 40-8 overall in 2008, while The Lady Eagles are 34-6.

The teams have not met in the regular season since 2005, with the scheduled meetings in 2006 and 2007 being cancelled due to inclement weather. They did, however, meet during the postseason of each of the last four seasons.

In 2004 (another season in which their regular season meeting was cancelled due to rain), KU eliminated the Lady Eagles from the PSAC playoffs with a 9-6 victory. In 2005, Lock Haven returned the favor with an 8-0 shellacking, which eliminated KU from the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals. In 2006, the Lady Eagles came up victorious by a score of 5-1 in a non-elimination game in the PSAC playoffs. LHU went on to win the Division II National Championship.

The teams met three times during the PSAC playoffs last season, including an epic 15 inning Lock Haven comeback win. In the first meeting, KU won 3-0, which meant a win in the teams’ second meeting would earn them the PSAC Championship. The Golden Bears led 5-2 with Lock Haven down to their last strike, but the Lady Eagles rallied and eventually won in 15 innings. The LHU win forced a grudge match for the PSAC title, which the Lady Eagles won 5-2. Lock Haven would go on to finish second in the nation.

The Golden Bears enter the game fresh off a doubleheader sweep at East Stroudsburg on Saturday. KU won game one 10-1 before taking game two by a score of 6-2. The Golden Bears have won 19 of their last 22 games and have already clinched a PSAC playoff berth. At 17-3 in the PSAC East, they lead the division by three games with four games left to play.

The Lady Eagles, meanwhile, are 15-1 in the PSAC West and have also clinched a spot in the PSAC playoffs. Their latest action was a doubleheader sweep of California (Pa.) on Saturday by scores of 4-1 and 3-0. LHU has won 22 of its last 23 games.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/SS
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
7. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
8. Krista Tedjeske – SS
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Lock Haven:
1. Julia Popovich – LF
2. Sarah Norris – 3B
3. Kristin Erb – P/DH
4. Amanda Roosa – CA
5. Ilia Lopez – SS
6. Erica Eisenbise – RF
7. Devin Glezen – 2B
8. Amanda Gutmaker – DH
9. Nancy O’Connor – CF

SP: Kristin Erb

Scouting Report
The big matchup on Tuesday is going to be the powerful Kutztown offense against the All-American arm of Lock Haven’s Kristin Erb.

Erb, a junior from Reading, has already carried her team to a national title as a freshman and to a runner-up finish as a sophomore. This season she is 29-6 with an almost unbelievable 0.30 ERA, which is tops in division II. She has struck out 293 batters in 231.1 innings of work. Erb, the best pitcher in division II softball over the last three seasons, is the likely candidate to start both games for the Lady Eagles.

The Golden Bears will try to counter with their high-octane offense, which ranks as one of the most prolific offenses in division II. Ashley Fitzgerald (.457-14-49) has dominated in her junior season, leading KU in batting average, homers, and RBIs. Steph Denlinger (.377-12-46) has also been stellar and would likely have even better numbers if she wasn’t walked a team-high 38 times. Krista Cameron (.338-5-32) has flown under the radar a bit this season, but has quietly had another outstanding season. Kathy Gregg (.308-6-21) is another great player who doesn’t get a lot of the accolades in her role as the team’s nine hitter.

Kim Morrison (.255-3-16) and Maria Schiavo (.300-0-13) have both been inconsistent this year, but both are extremely talented and serve as excellent table setters at the top of the KU lineup. Caitlin Hague (.298-1-12) has done a good job in a part-time role as a designated player/catcher this season and will bat in the six or seven spot. Freshmen Maggie Reifsnyder (.289-4-10) and Krista Tedjeske (.237-2-16) will see plenty of work in the doubleheader. Reifsnyder will likely start both games in right field, while Tedjeske will probably start game one at shortstop.

The KU pitching staff will be overshadowed by Erb, but the young trio stacks up pretty well. Kait Arbogast (18-5 1.65) will start one of the games. A sophomore, Arbogast is the team’s ace with the other two pitchers who see significant action both in their freshman campaigns. Monica Glomb (10-3 1.69) and Mary Hoch (9-0 1.35) have very similar numbers so far in 2008 and both are likely to see some work on Tuesday.

It should also be pointed out that KU also ranks near the top 20 in the nation in both team ERA and in fielding percentage.

The Lock Haven offense will look to rattle the young KU pitching with a very formidable lineup. Sarah Norris (.392-12-34) will hit out of the two-spot and leads the team in batting average, runs (34), and homers. Amanda Roosa (.358-9-38) is second in batting average and homers and leads the team in RBIs. Erb (.348-3-24), the team’s three hitter, is not limited to just a pitching role, as she is stellar at the plate as well.

Julia Popovich (.269-0-6) is the leadoff hitter and is tied with Norris and Devin Glesen (.275-6-17) with a team-high eight steals. Erica Eisenbise (.294-5-28) and Ilia Lopez (.268-4-18) have both started all 40 of Lock Haven’s games. Amanda Gutmaker (.292-4-11) and Nancy O’Connor (.230-1-9) round out a well balanced lineup.

If Erb is not pitching, Popovich (5-0 1.34) would take the ball. She has started seven games this season and worked 41.2 effective innings.

There is no doubting that the Golden Bears have the tools to not only beat Lock Haven, but to sweep them. Kristin Erb is an unbelievable talent, but the Golden Bears proved last year that they could defeat her. If any team in the PSAC has a chance, it’s going to be KU. The Golden Bears have the offensive talent, a great batch of pitchers, and an outstanding fielding team. If they play their A-game on Tuesday, they certainly will contend for the win in both games. Come expecting a lot of excitement, but don’t expect to see too many runs on the board.

Ladies clinch playoff berth

Recap:
Friday, April 18 vs. Bloomsburg:
Game 1: L 2-5
Monica Glomb was lit up for five runs, four earned, on 10 hits in a complete game effort as KU fell 5-2 in game one. Steph Denlinger hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to cut the KU deficit to one run, but the Huskies answered with a two spot in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Kathy Gregg was 2-for-3 at the plate.
Game 2: L 1-4
The Golden Bears left 10 runners stranded in a 4-1 game two loss, allowing the Huskies to complete the daily sweep. Maria Schiavo and Gregg each had two hits in the loss. Maggie Reifsnyder was 0-for-3 and stranded seven runs. Kait Arbogast took the loss for KU, allowing four runs on nine hits in seven innings.

Saturday, April 19 @ East Stroudsburg:
Game 1: W 10-1
The Golden Bears bounced back on Sunday with a 10-1 smoking of ESU in game one. KU put up 17 hits in the win, led by three-hit days by Maria Schiavo and Caitlin Hague. Steph Denlinger, Ashley Fitzgerald, Krista Cameron, and Maggie Reifsnyder each had two hits. Arbogast was the winning pitcher, tossing a complete game, four-hitter. She allowed just one unearned run and struck out nine.
Game 2: W 6-2
The Golden Bears put 10 more hits on the board in game two en route to a 6-2 win. Hague, Kathy Gregg, and Krista Tedjeske carried the offensive load with two hits a piece. Tedjeske scored twice and drove in two runs. Mary Hoch was the starting pitcher for KU but was replaced by Monica Glomb after 2.2 innings of work. Glomb was the winning pitcher, tossing a scoreless 4.1 innings, while allowing just two hits.

What we liked:
The Golden Bears bounced back nicely on Saturday after a big letdown on Friday afternoon. Besides the two losses to Bloomsburg on Friday, ESU was the only other PSAC East team that had beaten KU this season. Instead of coming out in a funk against a team that knew they had it in them to knock off a good team like KU, the Golden Bears came out swinging and dominated the Warriors. Caitlin Hague was 6-of-10 (.600) and Kathy Gregg was 7-of-12 (.583) over the weekend. Both drove in two runs and scored twice. Maria Schiavo had a decent weekend, going 5-for-13 (.385) at the dish. Ashley Fitzgerald was 4-for-11 (.364), while Steph Denlinger was 4-for-12 (.333) and drove in five runs. Kim Morrison scored five runs in the four games. Krista Tedjeske seems to have broken from her slump. She was 3-for-10 (.300) at the plate, scored twice, and drove in two.

What we didn’t like:
You won’t see these names in this section very often, but the pitching wasn’t on the top of its game this weekend. Ace Kait Arbogast was 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 13 innings of work. She allowed 13 hits in that span, but did strike out 15 hitters. Monica Glomb was also 1-1, but with a bit higher of an ERA at 2.52 in 11.1 innings. Mary Hoch threw just 2.2 innings in game two against ESU and allowed four earned runs on five hits. At the plate, Krista Cameron hit a speed bump, managing just a 3-for-15 (.200) weekend. Maggie Reifsnyder seems to have cooled off, as she was 3-of-13 at the plate, including 0-for-6 against BU. Overall, the offensive output looks good for the weekend, but KU left a lot of runners on base. This was most notable in game two against Bloomsburg on Friday, as KU certainly had several opportunities to take the lead and even run away with that game. The Golden Bears did not bring their A-game on Friday and one can only hope that their performance will serve as a wake up call for the rest of the season.

Impact:
The Golden Bears sweep of ESU on Saturday clinched them a spot in the PSAC playoffs. KU (17-3) also had a chance to clinch the PSAC East title this weekend and, although they still maintain a three-game lead in the division, Bloomsburg (13-5) is certainly not out of the running. The Huskies will likely hold on for one of the two remaining playoff spots, but the third is certainly up for grabs. Shippensburg (9-9) holds the spot right now, but West Chester (8-10), ESU (8-12), Mansfield (6-12), and Millersville (5-15) are not far behind. KU’s biggest doubleheader of the season will come on Tuesday when they play host to PSAC West contender Lock Haven. The Lady Eagles are ranked second in the nation and are 34-6 overall in 2008, including 15-1 in the West. The Golden Bears, meanwhile, enter the game 40-8 this season and are 10th in the nation. Check back this afternoon for a full doubleheader preview.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Softball ready for rematch with Huskies

What: Bloomsburg Huskies @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When:
Friday, April 18, 2008 @ 2:30 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio: Golden Bear Network at 2:20 p.m. (Clay, Johnson, Kemps)

Game Info
The 10th-ranked KU softball team can clinch at least a share of the PSAC East title on Friday afternoon when they play host to 19th-ranked Bloomsburg.

The Golden Bears are 38-6 overall this season and 15-1 in the PSAC East. The Huskies (9-5) have allowed KU to pull away over the last few weeks, but still remain in second. Shippensburg (9-7) currently has a relatively tight hold on the third and final playoff spot, but West Chester (6-8), ESU (6-10), Millersville (5-11) and Mansfield (4-12) are still in the mix.

The Golden Bears enter the game fresh off Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep at Mansfield. KU won 8-0 and 6-0 to complete the season sweep of the Mounties.

The Huskies, meanwhile, are coming off a split with East Stroudsburg on Wednesday afternoon. Following a game one 2-1 loss, the Huskies rebounded with an 8-0 shellacking of the Warriors. With a 34-7 overall record this season, Bloomsburg comes into the game just percentage points behind the Golden Bears.

These two teams met at Bloomsburg back on April 6 with the Golden Bears sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 5-1 and 2-1.

Last season, KU won three of the four matchups between the teams. At North Campus Field, the Golden Bears fell 9-0 before winning 7-1. Later in the season, KU won 3-2 and 5-2 on the road.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/SS
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
7. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
8. Krista Tedjeske – SS
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Bloomsburg:
1. Tara Reed – SS
2. Mandy Koch – 2B
3. Lacy Mauro – LF
4. Jenna Hampton – DH
5. Kayleen Sidisky – 3B
6. Nikki Shiko – CF
7. Casey Massimini – RF
8. Tiff Corliss – CA
9. Jess Rosin – 1B
SPs: Ashley Lynn & Sheelin Fisher

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears have already swept the Huskies once, and with the PSAC East title within their grasp, they should be as motivated as ever to sweep the Huskies out of Kutztown. The Huskies do, however, have a lot of talent, including a few top-notch offensive threats and one of the best pitching staffs around. The teams are relatively even and, like in the first meetings, both games are likely to be close right down to the finish.

The Golden Bears will look to the pitching trifecta of Kait Arbogast (17-4 1.59), Monica Glomb (9-2 1.58), and Mary Hoch (9-0 1.19) to keep them in games, while counting on the high-octane offense to power them to victories. Steph Denlinger (.381-11-41), Ashley Fitzgerald (.465-14-48), and Krista Cameron (.353-5-30) can all hit the ball out of the park at any given moment and they will need to provide that power on Friday. Kim Morrison (.254-3-16) will leadoff for KU has been playing well over the last few weeks. Maria Schiavo (.292-0-12) will be called upon to move base runners out of the two hole, but is another threat to set the table with a big hit at any time. Maggie Reifsnyder (.302-4-9) has recently been moved to the six hole to provide a threat behind the “big three” and she has not disappointed. She is quietly becoming the power hitter coach Judy Lawes was hoping for. Krista Tedjeske (.231-1-14), Caitlin Hague (.257-1-10), and Kathy Gregg (.278-6-19) are all capable hitters who will look to provide runs from the bottom of the order.

The Huskies will rely on their superstar pitcher Ashley Lynn (15-3 0.93) to carry them to the Promised Land. The senior has allowed opponents to hit just .208 and has struck out 138 in 128.1 innings of work. Sheelin Fisher (11-2 1.08) will likely start game two, while Tara Reed (7-2 0.98) rounds out a stellar pitching staff.

BU’s offensive attack is led by six regulars who are hitting above .300. Tara Reed (.420-1-21) leads the team in runs scored with 28 and steals with 10. Reed and Jenna Hampton (.324-3-21) have the most RBIs, while Hampton is tops on the team in homers. Mandy Koch (.313-2-11), Nikki Shiko (.351-2-10), Tiff Corliss (.316-1-13), and Lacy Mauro (.317-0-16) will also be counted on for run production.

In order to continue their assault of the Huskies, the Golden Bears will need the continued superb work of the pitching staff. Kait Arbogast, Monica Glomb, and Mary Hoch have been quite the trifecta this season and will be key to the team’s success the rest of the way. I’d expect both games to be close and I wouldn’t be completely surprised if Bloomsburg was able to steal one of the games. As good as KU is, the Huskies are also a top 25 team in the nation and can break out at any time.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Ladies make quick work of Mounties

Recap:
Wednesday, April 16 @ Mansfield:
Game 1: W 8-0
Kait Arbogast extended her scoreless innings streak to 20.1 straight innings as KU easily handled Mansfield in game one by a score of 8-0. Arbogast tossed the five inning complete game and allowed just two hits, while striking out eight. Steph Denlinger and Krista Cameron each had two hits and a homer. Ashley Fitzgerald continued her dominance at the plate, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs. Maggie Reifsnyder was 2-for-3.
Game 2: W 6-0
The Golden Bears completed the day with another shutout, but this time it was Monica Glomb and Mary Hoch on the hill in the 6-0 affair. Hoch got the win, tossing five innings of three hit ball. Glomb pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit. Fitzgerald again was 3-for-4 at the plate, drove in three runs, and scored twice. Denlinger walked in all four of her at-bats and scored three runs. Reifsnyder and Caitlin Hague had the only other KU hits in the game.

What we liked:
What else is new? Another doubleheader sweep—more great things to say. The pitching was almost perfect, as the Kait Arbogast-Monica Glomb-Mary Hoch trio allowed no runs on six hits and struck out 12 on the afternoon. Ashley Fitzgerald was a combined 6-of-8 (.750) at the dish, drove in a whopping seven runs, and scored three times. Steph Denlinger reached base in seven of her eight trips to the plate and scored five runs. Maggie Reifsnyder continues to improve, as she was 3-for-7 (.429) at the plate.

What we didn’t like:
There is nothing much to point out her, but a few players had a rough day. Leadoff hitter Kim Morrison had just one hit, but walked twice during the two games. Maria Schiavo was 0-for-7 at the plate out of the two spot in the order. Fortunately for them, Fitzgerald, Denlinger, Krista Cameron, and Maggie Reifsnyder had outstanding afternoons.

Impact:
Not only did KU sweep Mansfield, but Bloomsburg also split its doubleheader with East Stroudsburg. With eight divisional games to play, the Golden Bears (15-1) lead second place Bloomsburg (9-5) by five games. Shippensburg (9-7) currently has a relatively tight hold on the third and final playoff spot, but West Chester (6-8), ESU (6-10), Millersville (5-11) and Mansfield (4-12) can still get back in the race. The Golden Bears, ranked 10th in the nation and 38-6 overall this season, need to win just two more games to clinch a playoff spot and are closing in on clinching the division title. It won’t be easy over the next few days, however, as they have what will likely be their hardest stretch of the season. They will host 19th-ranked Bloomsburg at home on Friday and will then entertain 2nd-ranked Lock Haven in a non-divisional doubleheader on Tuesday. A sweep of the Huskies on Friday would clinch KU at least a share of the PSAC East regular season title. I’ll have both of those games on the Golden Bear Network for your listening pleasure.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Playoff berth on line for baseball team

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ East Stroudsburg Warriors
When: Friday, April 18, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: Mitterling Field on the campus of East Stroudsburg University
~and~
What: East Stroudsburg Warriors @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When:
Saturday, April 19, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio: Golden Bear Network at 12:50 p.m. (Mike Clay)

Game Info
The KU baseball team will head into this weekend’s set of home-and-home doubleheaders with the East Stroudsburg Warriors looking to jump back into the PSAC playoff race.

The Golden Bears currently sit at 16-17 overall this season and are 5-7 in the PSAC East. They trail West Chester (8-4), Mansfield (7-5), and Millersville (7-5) for one of the three playoff spots. ESU (5-7) and Bloomsburg (4-8) round out the division and are competing with the Golden Bears in an attempt to overthrow one of the top three teams.

KU’s latest divisional action was this past weekend when they scored a grand total of five runs in four games en route to dropping three of four against Millersville. On Friday night, the Golden Bears were downed on the road by scores of 5-1 and 6-0. On Saturday at North Campus Field, they managed to take game one 3-2 before dropping game two 3-1.

KU played a few non-conference foes during the week with the results still unavailable. The Golden Bears will complete a pair of doubleheaders at Lincoln on Wednesday before heading to Adelphi for one game on Thursday.

The Warriors are 16-21 overall this season and, as mentioned, are tied with KU for fourth in the East at 5-7. Their most recent action was a doubleheader split with Bloomsburg over the weekend. At home on Friday, they fell 9-7 before winning 8-0. Then on Saturday they won 15-4 and lost 10-6.

The two teams have already met once this season—an early season meeting in Newport News, Virginia on Feb. 24. The Golden Bears dominated that affair, winning it 10-1.

Last year, the teams met a total of six times, including once during the PSAC playoffs. The Golden Bears won all five regular season meetings, including a 7-2 early season victory played in Newport News, a home doubleheader sweep by scores of 15-6 and 6-3, and finally a road doubleheader sweep by scores of 8-4 and 5-2. The Warriors, however, were able to get their revenge in the playoffs with a 9-5 win.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Mike Kacelowicz – SS
2. Jared Frey – 1B
3. Chad Lightcap – LF
4. James Quigley – DH/3B
5. Corey Buletza – LF/RF
6. Matt Kulbacki/Scott Kacelowicz – CA
7. Garrison Rausch – CF
8/9. Mark Renda/Mike Dugan/Jeff Kistle/Brett Wigder – UT
SPs: Phil Rummel, Darin Gorski, Garrison Rausch, Derek Reis

East Stroudsburg:
1. Chad Schlegel – 2B
2. Brendan O’Malley – 3B
3. Mike Bortz – CF
4. Chris Zsenak – 1B
5. Kyle Sheaffer – LF
6. Kevin Thompson – RF
7. Blake Knecht – DH
8. Brendan O’Connor – CA
9. Edwin Padua – SS
SPs: Dave Boyer, Jeremy Gigliotti, Bill Hezel, Christian Saveri, Steve Prazenka

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears are led offensively by Chad Lightcap (.419-5-23). He leads the team in batting average, homers, RBIs, runs scored (28), slugging percentage (.657), and on base percentage (.519). Jared Frey (.333-0-9) has progressed nicely in his second season and is second on the team in batting average. Scott Kacelowicz (.333-0-4) and Matt Kulbacki (.301-5-19) have been a formidable catching combination and both are hitting over .300. Brett Wigder (.304-0-14), James Quigley (.300-0-4), and Corey Buletza (.299-1-16) have hit well in extensive action as freshmen. Mike Kacelowicz (.288-1-12) has been mired in a slump, but remains the teams leadoff hitter and is tops on the team with 12 doubles and 17 walks. Mike Dugan (.276-1-9), Jeff Kistle (.257-0-10), Mark Renda (.245-0-14), Nole Saylor (.231-0-3), and Andy May (.192-0-3) are five other freshman who will see a decent amount of at-bats during the weekend. Garrison Rausch (.160-0-6), who has been starting to heat up at the plate, will man center and bat in the middle of the order. Buletza and Renda have a team high 14 steals.

Darin Gorski (6-2 2.61), Phil Rummel (4-3 3.40), and Derick Reis (1-2 2.43) are likely to be three of the weekend’s four starters. The fourth spot was Garrison Rausch’s (0-3 6.12) earlier this season, but his struggles may have lost him that spot. Against Millersville this past weekend, Justin Jachowicz (0-3 4.05) made his second start of the season. Ryan Cassidy (1-1 4.09) and Steve Craig (2-1 5.00) are likely candidates if Rausch or Jachowicz don’t get the call.

Chris Zsenak (.382-1-17) and Blake Knecht (.350-1-5) are good for more than having confusing last names, as they are one-two on the Warriors in hitting. Mike Bortz (.337-7-25) is tops on the team in homers and is tied with Kyle Sheaffer (.309-1-25) for the team lead in RBIs. Bortz and Zsenak each have scored a team-best 23 runs, while Sheaffer leads his squad with 11 steals.

Dave Boyer (5-3 4.60), Jeremy Gigliotti (2-4 7.11), Bill Hezel (2-6 7.56), Christian Saveri (3-2 4.70), and Steve Prazenka (2-1 3.89) are the likely candidates for the four starts. Saveri is the only one who hasn’t started at least six games this season, but he did get a start against Bloomsburg this past weekend.

Outlook
The Golden Bears will obviously be looking to win all four games this weekend, but the team’s offensive struggles make that seem like wishful thinking. Fortunately for them, they do have the pitching to pull it off. The offense just needs to show up.

The Golden Bears could end up eliminated from the playoffs if they lose the series and that would a huge disappointment, as they certainly have the pitching they would need to make a run in PSACs. Basically, KU needs to take at least three games this weekend. After this four-game stretch, all that is left is four games with West Chester, the PSAC East leader and the 10th ranked team in the nation. If KU is on the outside looking in after this weekend, they will be in serious trouble.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Ladies look to sweep Mansfield

What: Kutztown Golden Bears @ Mansfield Mountaineers
When:
Wednesday April 16, 2008 @ 2 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where:
Helen Lutes Field on the campus of Mansfield University

Game Info
The KU softball team will head into Wednesday afternoon’s doubleheader at Mansfield as the top team in the PSAC East with an impressive 13-1 record. At 36-6 overall, the Golden Bears are ranked 10th in the nation and are second in the region behind second-ranked Lock Haven. In the East, they currently lead second place Bloomsburg (8-4) by three games and are well ahead of Shippensburg (7-7), West Chester (6-8), Millersville (5-9), East Stroudsburg (5-9), and Mansfield (4-10). With 10 games to play including Wednesday, KU is still far from clinching a division title and still needs a few more wins to clinch a playoff berth.

The Golden Bears enter the game fresh off a weekend sweep of West Chester and Millersville. KU beat WCU 4-0 and 4-2 at home on Friday before beating Millersville 8-0 and 1-0 at North Campus Field on Saturday.

The Mounties enter the game at 10-13 overall this season and are last in the division at 4-10. They are coming off Monday’s doubleheader split with West Chester in which they lost game one 5-1 before taking game two 3-2.

The team’s met earlier this season in Kutztown on March 29. Both games were close, but it was the Golden Bears who managed to take 4-3 wins in both contests.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/DH
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
7. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
8. Krista Tedjeske – SS
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Mansfield:
1. Shana Markwis – LF
2. Janelle Antes – 2B
3. Jess Christ – SS
4. Gabriella Carrullo – DH
5. Jen Stein – CA
6. Nicole Yost – RF
7. Megan Trutt – CF
8. Amanda Lewis – 1B
9. Sarah Cullen – 3B
SPs: Whitney Brown & Lindsey Knapp

Scouting Report
As usual, the Golden Bears have a much better lineup and pitching staff. Coach Judy Lawes will likely look to Kait Arbogast to pitch one of the games and to either Mary Hoch or Monica Glomb in the other. Since Glomb started game one on Saturday and Arbogast threw three innings in game two, I’d imagine Arbogast and Hoch will be the starters.

2B Kim Morrison has picked it up as of late after a mid-season slump and will continue to set the table along with two-hitter LF Maria Schiavo. 1B Steph Denlinger, CA/SS Ashley Fitzgerald, and 3B Krista Cameron will anchor the heart of the order with RF Maggie Reifsnyder beginning to heat up in the six spot. Caitlin Hague is the favorite to bat seventh and play designated hitter in one game and catch the other. SS Krista Tedjeske has struggled as of late, which was dropped her from sixth to eight in the lineup. CF Kathy Gregg is excellent out of the nine spot.

Mansfield is expected to throw Whitney Brown and Lindsey Knapp at Kutztown. Brown leads the team in starts, while Knapp is tops in ERA and strikeouts (56).

Jess Christ leads the team in batting average and is second in RBIs. Megan Trutt and Nicole Yost are the only other regulars hitting over .300. Janelle Antes has scored a team-high 17 runs, while Shana Markwis has a team-best 13 RBIs. Antes, Markwis, and Jen Stein have each hit two homers, tops on the team.

(New rankings as well as updated player stats will be added tonight or Wednesday morning)

Bats remain quiet against Marauders

Recap:
Friday, April 11 @ Millersville:
Game 1: L 1-5

Phil Rummel allowed just one earned run, but five KU errors allowed the Marauders to muster up five runs en route to the 5-1 win. Rummel threw the entire six innings for the Golden Bears and allowed just four hits, while striking out six. KU managed just three hits with Jeff Kistle accounting for two of them and Chap Lightcap recording the other.
Game 2: L 0-6

The offense was even worse in game two as it managed just two hits in a 6-0 loss. James Quigley and Garrison Rausch each had a single in the second inning. Justin Jachowicz started for KU and took the loss. He allowed just one run on three hits in four innings of work. Mike Bucklin got rocked for five runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

Saturday, April 12 vs. Millersville:
Game 1: W 3-2
Seven different Golden Bears recorded at least one hit as KU won game one on Saturday 3-2. Jeff Kistle was the only Golden Bears with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Matt Kulbacki was 1-of-2 and had the other two RBIs. Darin Gorksi continued his stellar play on the hill, allowing just two runs, one earned, on five hits in a complete game effort. He struck out 10 Marauders.
Game 2: L 1-3
KU managed eight more hits in game two, but could get just one run across and fell 3-1. Scott Kacelowicz was 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in the only KU run. Garrison Rausch showed he is beginning to heat up by scoring the team’s lone run in a 2-for-3 effort at the dish. Derek Reis took the loss for KU, allowing three runs on 12 hits in just over six innings of work.

What we liked:
Although it only resulted in wins in one of the four games, the starting pitching was stellar as usual. Darin Gorski continues to dominate and is now 6-2 with a 2.61 ERA this season. Derick Reis had a rough outing, but is still 1-2 with a 2.43 ERA in 2008. Phil Rummel had a nice outing if you ignore the five KU errors and is 4-3 with a 3.40 ERA this season. If the Golden Bears have a chance to come back and make the playoffs, it’s going to be the continued efforts of the pitching staff. Garrison Rausch has struggled on the hill and at the plate this season, but that wasn’t the case against Millersville. He wasn’t called on to pitch, but he was 3-of-6 (.500) at the plate and scored a run. Jeff Kistle was one of the top hitters as well, going 4-for-8 (.500) at the plate while driving in a run.

What we didn’t like:
The young offense has not been able to produce against the PSAC East pitching and it is costing them in the standings. Against Millersville, seven regulars (at least six total at-bats over the four games) batted .200 or worse. Mike Kacelowicz was 1-for-11 (.091), Chad Lightcap was 2-for-12 (.167), Jared Frey was 1-for-13 (.077), James Quigley was 2-for-10 (.200), Corey Buletza was 1-for-10 (.100), Mark Renda was 1-for-7 (.143), and Mike Dugan was 0-for-6 (.000). KU scored just five runs on 21 hits in the four games.

Impact:
The Golden Bears needed a split with the Marauders just to remain tied with them for the third and final playoff spot in the East. Instead, they fall to 5-7 and are tied with East Stroudsburg for fourth. West Chester leads the way at 8-4 and Mansfield and Millersville are both 7-5. KU has yet to play the nationally-ranked Golden Rams of West Chester, but still has a four game set with them after this weekend’s four spot with ESU. The Golden Bears will need continued strong efforts from the pitching staff and will need a few more runs a game from the offense if they hope to return to the playoffs. A weekend sweep against ESU would be huge. Stay tuned.