Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 7-8, 2009 

At Aiken Early Bird Tournament (Aiken, S.C.)

GAME 1: Francis Marion 2, Kutztown 1  |  BOXSCORE
GAME 2: Kutztown 4, Erskine 3 (9 inn.)  |  BOXSCORE
GAME 3: Georgia College & State Univ. 8, Kutztown 2 | BOXSCORE
GAME 4: Kutztown 8, Georgia College & State Univ. 0 | BOXSCORE
GAME 5: Kutztown 2, Limestone 1 | BOXSCORE

AIKEN, S.C. — The Kutztown University softball team opened the 2009 season going 3-2 at the Aiken Early Bird Tournament in Aiken, S.C.

KU (3-2) went 1-2 Saturday and swept a doubleheader on Sunday.

No. 5 Francis Marion defeated the 12th-ranked Golden Bears 2-1 in the tournament opener, but KU bounced back to win 4-3 in nine innings over Erskine. KU is lost to No. 20 Georgia College & State University, 8-2, to cap Saturday’s tripleheader.

Sunday, KU won 8-0 over Georgia College & State and 2-1 over Limestone.

No. 5 Francis Marion 2, No. 12 Kutztown 1
Katlin Arbogast (jr. Ambler/Wissahickon) started for the Golden Bears and held Francis Marion to four hits, but two first-inning runs propelled the fifth-ranked Patriots to a 2-1 win Saturday.

Ashley Fitzgerald (sr. Kitchener, ONTARIO /Resurrection) went 1-for-2 for KU.

The Golden Bears’ lone run came in the third inning.

No. 12 Kutztown 4, Erskine 3 (9 inn.)
Steph Denlinger (sr. Harleysville/Souderton) hit her first home run of 2009 as the Golden Bears won in the bottom of the ninth over Erskine.

Denlinger scored the game-winning run, crossing home plate on a RBI single by Krista Cameron (sr. Formosa, ONTARIO/Sacred Heart).

The two teams went to extra innings tied at 1, and after Erskine scored two runs in the top of the eighth, KU matched it with two runs in the bottom half.

Arbogast collected her first win of the year, pitching in relief for starter Monica Glomb (so. Mars/Mars).

No. 20 Georgia College & State Univ. 8, Kutztown 2
Krista Cameron (sr. Formosa, ONTARIO/Sacred Heart) hit a pair of solo homers, but KU fell to GC&SU 8-2 in the third game of a season-opening tripleheader at the Aiken Early Bird Classic in Aiken, S.C.

Cameron finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. 

Kutztown 8, No. 20 Georgia College & State Univ. 0 (5 inn.)
Katlin Arbogast (jr. Ambler/Wissahickon) pitched five innings of two-hit, shutout ball to lead KU past No. 20 Georgia College & State University Sunday.

Arbogast struck out six and walked just two.

Ashley Fitzgerald (sr. Kitchener, ONTARIO /Resurrection) and Kim Morrison (sr. Snake Island, ONTARIO/Sir William Muloch) hit home runs for KU. Fitzgerald finished 2-for-2 with a single, a homer and a walk. Maria Schiavo (jr. Old Forge/Old Forge) was 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI.

Kutztown 2, Limestone 1
Katlin Arbogast (jr. Ambler/Wissahickon) pitched sixing innings of two-hit ball, allowing just one run, and a walk-off homer Alex Najpauer (so. Topton/Brandywine Heights) helped KU leave Aiken, S.C., with a winning record.

KU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth and Limestone tied it in the sixth with a solo homer from Hannah Mills.

Najpauer hit the walk-off blast in the bottom of the seventh.

Mary Hoch (so. Philadelphia/St. Hubert) pitched in the top of the seventh to collect the win.