WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams (5-10) gave a great effort late, but it was not quite enough when the team took a 4-3 loss to the Kutztown Golden Bears (5-5), Saturday morning. After falling behind early, the Rams staged a late rally, but it was not quite enough in the tough loss.

The Rams showed some great hitting in the game in spite of the score. As a team, the Rams totaled seven hits, three more than the Golden Bears. However, the team was only able to get three runs across the plate in the loss. WSSU sophomore catcher Aniyah Jones continued to be a top offensive player for the Rams. She went two-for-four at the plate with a home run and two RBI. Redshirt-freshman pitcher Anastasia Morrison went one-for-two at the plate while sophomore Danielle Stradford went one-for-three with a double.

Strong defense was the order of the day for both teams early in the game, but as the game progressed, both the Rams and the Golden Bears found ways to runs across the plate. It wasn't until the third inning when the first run of the game was scored. The Golden Bears struck first when a dropped fly ball allowed the Golden Bears to take a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, the Rams also allowed an RBI sacrifice fly to fall behind 2-0. It was in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Rams got things going as Jones hit an RBI ground out to score junior outfielder Nyla Howard and cut the WSSU deficit in half, 2-1. In the sixth inning, the Rams allowed a two-run home run to the Golden Bears to leave WSSU trailing, 4-1, but the Rams added a sixth inning score of their own when Stradford hit an RBI double to fall behind, 4-2. After holding the Golden Bears scoreless in the seventh inning, Jones hit a solo home run, but it was all the scoring that the Rams could manage as the team ended the game with the loss.

Morrison (3-2) took the pitching loss. She started the game and threw all seven innings. She finished the game with four runs allowed (three earned) on four hits with three strikeouts.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 5-10 to open the season. The two teams would go on the complete the doubleheader later in the day. For more information on Rams softball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.