Breanna Crognale
Staff Writer

The Lady Marauders overcame the loss in game one to defeat the Golden Bears in the second.
The Lady Marauders overcame the loss in game one to defeat the Golden Bears in the second.

Millersville played host to Kutztown on Friday for a pair of games that featured drastically different endings. In game one Sarah Bertoni tossed the rubber for the Maruaders and went on to pitch another complete game but was tagged with the loss as the team went down 3-0. The loss brings her record to 11-4 on the season. The story line for game one was lack of run support as the girls managed only two hits against the Golden Bears and starter Dominique Ficara. Bertoni encountered trouble in the top of the second, when Kutztown’s Katie Lynch singled to get on base. This was followed by a single from third baseman Nicole Henninger and then Brianna Knipe reached on a fielder’s choice. Bertoni faced with two outs successfully struck out rightfielder Jessica Kurtz to end the inning. It was scoreless heading into the fifth inning when the Golden Bears threatened with runners on second and third. They got on the board when Kurtz scored on an RBI groundout by second baseman Morgan Booth. Bertoni then got leftfielder Maria Isgro to pop out to third baseman Jamie Motsko. The bottom of the six went the same way for the Marauders when Kutztown loaded the bases with no outs. They added to their lead when Knipe singled in Brandi Parker from third base and Kurtz went on to reach on a fielder’s choice scoring Lynch from third. Millersville got its first out of the inning when Henninger was thrown out at home plate and Bertoni recovered, successfully recording the final two outs of the inning. The two lone hits for Millersville came in the bottom of the seventh when Danielle DeFilippo and Motsko each singled to get on base.
Game two was a completely different story that featured offensive explosions from both teams. Brianna Andraos was on the hill for the Marauders, and went the distance against the Golden Bears. Millersville won the game 8-7, giving Andraos her eighth win of the season, and bringing her record to 8-2. Millersville raced out to an early 3-0 lead in the first, when Sheffield scored on an RBI by Motsko. Then DiFilippo scored on a RBI ground out by first baseman Ashley Cantiello. Catcher Gabbie Berry scored on a single by Stephanie Kulp, giving the Marauders the 3-0 lead. Kutztown responded in the second inning and got one back when Isgro scored on a RBI single by Jackie Hetzler. The Golden Bears made it a one run game in the third when Rachel Lawes scored on a RBI double by Henninger. Millersville recovered in their half of the third, making it 4-2 when DiFilippo scored on an RBI groundout by Cantiello. The Marauders seemed to blow the game wide open in the fourth when DiFilippo singled in both Brittany Shoemaker and Sarah Bertoni making it 6-2. Sheffield went on to score making it 7-2 Millersville. The Marauders were in complete control of the game, adding another run in the fifth when Ginely Ortiz-Marrero scored on a single by Bertoni, giving them a commanding 8-2 lead. However, the Golden Bears would not go down quietly as they scored two in the sixth inning when Krista Schauder scored on a double by Booth. They cut the lead in half when Kurtz scored on a RBI groundout. Kutztown continued to fight back in the seventh as Andraos was unable to shut down the Golden Bears offense. They made it 8-5 when Kurtz singled in Isgro, then 8-6 when Booth singled in Kurtz. They made it 8-7 when Lynch singled in Hetzler effectively putting the pressure on the Marauders and more specifically Andraos who blew a six run lead. However, faced with a one run game and the bases loaded, Andraos stepped up to the plate and struck out Danielle Sienko to seal the deal for the Marauders. Dominique Ficara was tagged with the loss for the Golden Bears as Millersville chased her in the fourth inning.