Game 1 | Game 2

Millersville, Pa. – On her fourth home run of the season, Allison Chew drove in four with a grand slam in the first inning of game two to lead the Marauders into a split with No. 25 Kutztown Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Bears escaped the first game of the day despite a late Millersville rally.

Millersville (12-18, 2-8 PSAC East) had trouble determining its lineup for the second game of the doubleheader after Abigail Ruoss suffered an injury on the base-pads in the final inning of game one. Ruoss was catching in place of already injured Kelly Fitzgerald, who was only cleared to bat by the training staff. Fitzgerald sustained an injury against East Stroudsburg over the weekend.

With a short bench, coach Kathy Cummings relied on usual shortstop Davina Kachnovitz, a former catcher in her younger days, to play behind the plate.

Kutztown (31-8, 6-4 PSAC East) started off the second affair with two-up, two-down before getting two runners on by singles. Alicia Hughes (7-7) retired the side by fielding a ground ball and finishing the play to first.

Sarah Signore started the bottom of the first with a single to get Millersville going. Deanna Schneiderreit then reached on a throwing error by the catcher advancing Signore to third.

With runners at the corners and no outs, Fitzgerald came to the plate as the designated player. Kutztown's Samantha Derr (12-4) elected to intentionally walk Fitzgerald after throwing one pitch to her in the previous game that found its way over the fence.

Allison Chew came to the plate as the cleanup with bases loaded and nobody out. Chew crushed the ball over the fence to deep left field, almost hitting the scoreboard to give the Marauders a 4-0 lead after one.

The Golden Bears finally responded in the third inning scoring two runs on four hits with two errors by the defense. Kutztown had the bases loaded with two outs but were only able to score two runs to cut the lead to 4-2 in favor of Millersville.

The score did not change the rest of the game giving Millersville its second win in conference play, and first win over the Golden Bears in four years. The Marauders last win over the Golden Bears came on April 29, 2007 in Kutztown by a score of 4-3.

Kutztown scored early and often in the first game taking a 7-1 lead into the bottom half of the fifth inning.

Millersville began its late game rally with runners on the corners and one out in fifth. Schneiderreit singled to center, driving home Signore from second and pushing Kachnovitz before advancing to second on the throw home. Chew then singled to score both base runners and chase out the game one starter, Monica Glomb (12-3).

The Golden Bears responded in the sixth with three more runs to push the lead back to six, up 10-4.

Ruoss, starting at catcher for the second time in as many games, led off the sixth with a blooper over the third baseman and shortstop for a single.

Fitzgerald came to the plate next pinch hitting in the seventh spot. One pitch later the ball was over the fence, giving Fitzgerald her third home run and her 22nd and 23rd RBIs of the season.

Courtney Eckman retired the first three Kutztown batters in the seventh to give the Marauders a chance in the final half inning down, 10-6.

With two out and a runner on first, Casey Coker reached base after getting hit by a pitch. Ruoss, going 3-for 4 in the game, hit her third single of the afternoon to drive in one and cut the lead to three.

Millersville loaded the bases with a single by Hughes, but a pop out to second ended the game giving Kutztown its sixth win in conference play.

The Marauders' road trips to Edinboro and Gannon this weekend have been canceled making Bowie State the next opponent. Millersville will travel to Bowie, Md., April 12 to take on the Lady Bulldogs. The doubleheader is slated for 2:30 p.m.