A third-inning rally was all Kutztown needed to defeat Brandywine Heights on Thursday night.
The Cougars scored three runs in the third and relied on dominant pitching from starter MaKayla Drey to defeat the Bullets 4-1 in a Berks Softball League Division IV game at Lyons.
The win lifted Kutztown (7-2 Berks IV, 12-4) into a tie with Brandywine Heights (7-2 Berks IV, 12-4) for first place in the division. The Cougars hold the tiebreaker, which is based on District 3 power rankings.
“It’s usually a battle between the two of us,” Kutztown coach Kevin Conrad said. “You got to bring your ‘A’ game when you play them.”
Drey was stout for the Cougars in the circle, allowing just one run and five hits in seven innings. The junior had seven strikeouts.
“We got a real strong performance from MaKayla,” Conrad said. “All year long she’s been trusting our defense, and it takes a lot of pressure off of her because she knows that we have eight other good ballplayers behind her.”
Trailing 1-0, Kutztown provided Drey with run support in the third. Third baseman Samantha Furst put the Cougars on the board with a two-run single, which allowed left fielder Sadie Berger and catcher Ashley Noecker to score.
Second baseman Ryleigh Bohning hit into a fielder’s choice later in the inning, allowing Furst to score to make it 3-1. Furst finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
“It was really good that we put the ball in play,” Furst said. “It was a team effort.”
The Cougars added to their lead in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Noecker, which allowed center fielder Caitlyn Lubak to score. Lubak finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“It was (a) really important (game),” Lubak said. “We knew we had to come out strong and do what we had to do to win.”
Meghan Shuster started in the circle for Brandywine Heights, tossing six innings. She allowed four runs and six hits while striking out six.
The Bullets scored their lone run in the third inning on an RBI single from third baseman Jadyn Richards, which drove in left fielder A’nayah Jones. Jones finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“We knew Brandywine Heights was going to come out and hit the ball,” Conrad said. “We’re actually playing some really good ball right now.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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