KUTZTOWN — The Lock Haven softball team continued its eight-game road trip by traveling to Kutztown on Saturday afternoon for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division doubleheader.

Kutztown won both games by scores of 4-1 and 1-0 – behind strong pitching performances. Lock Haven moves to 23-17 overall and 13-11 in conference play. Kutztown improved to 26-15 overall and 15-6 in PSAC East play.

Kutztown jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after two innings in game one.

Montgomery graduate Faith Persing responded by delivering a two-out RBI single to score Marissa Horn in the third.

Lock Haven left two on base in the fourth and Kutztown scored another run in the fifth. The Golden Bears added two insurance runs in the sixth and hung on to win.

Talia Ross (14-6) went all six innings and struck out four batters against the quality lineup. Madison Hardy delivered two hits and Evelyn Osborne had one as well.

Game two featured a pitcher’s duel in which Kutztown came out on top. 

Keiva Middleton got the start in the circle and despite giving up seven hits through 3 2/3 innings pitched, she allowed no runs to score.

Persing (5-4) pitched 2 1/3 innings without giving up a hit, but suffered the loss as a sacrifice fly allowed Kutztown to score the only run of the game in the sixth.

Olivia LaMeau tried to get things going for the Bald Eagles offensively in the seventh inning by delivering a two-out double to right-center field.

However, the pinch runner was left stranded after a lineout to second ended the game.