DRIFTON, Pa. (April 26, 2012)—Top-seeded Kutztown University eliminated Shippensburg University, with an 8-0 win in the third round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships at the ASA of PA Jake Kislan Softball Complex, Thursday afternoon.

Tournament Central

The Golden Bears (45-3 overall) are currently ranked second in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll. Additionally, KU is ranked first in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional poll.

After facing its first loss of the PSAC Championships just a few hours ago to Bloomsburg University, Kutztown knew that it had to give its all against the Red Raiders (19-26) to stay alive in the tournament. Shippensburg snapped KU's 33-game winning streak last week with a 1-0 victory, marking the first time it had been shutout all season.

With a 5-0 lead heading into the fifth inning, Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) crushed a three-run walk-off homer to end the game in five innings. Lynch leads the Golden Bears in home runs this season with 11. Lynch finished with three hits, five RBIs, and a run scored.

KU wasted no time and took the 2-0 lead in the first inning following a two-run homer from Heather Hannum (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham).

The Golden Bears tacked on three more runs off three hits in the fifth inning, stretching the lead to 5-0.

Kelly Fitzgerald (Upper Darby, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) (Upper Darby, Pa./Archbishop Pendergast) went a perfect 3-for-3 with two singles and a double. Hannum was 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBIs. Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) (Turnersville, NJ/ Washington Twp.), and Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) each finished with a hit.

Freshman pitcher Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ) (Columbia, NJ/ Sparta) recorded her fifth shutout. She improved to 12-1 on the season. Kociencki recorded a game-high five strikeouts. She limited Shippensburg to just two hits in the win.

The Golden Bears still have another challenge ahead of them as they face the winner of the Lock Haven-Mercyhurst game in another elimination round on Friday, April 27 at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals and play the loser of the Bloomsburg-Indiana (Pa.) game at 4 p.m. on Friday.