KUTZTOWN, W.Va. -- Fairmont State softball suffered a setback Thursday morning as the Fighting Falcons fell 6-2 to Kutztown University in the opening round of the NCAA Atlantic Region.

The loss now puts Fairmont State in the elimination bracket and will face Merchyurst tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

The Golden Bears got on the board with three runs in the first inning after three consecutive hits to start the bottom half of the first.

In the second inning, Emily Riggs led off with a single to center field and advanced to second via a single by Courtney Moyer. Molly Schweitzer drew a walk on 3-2 count and loaded the bases full of Falcons. Elizabeth Waskiewicz was able to score Riggs from third base via an RBI groundout and cut the deficit to 3-1.

Kutztown got the run back in the bottom of the second off a RBI single by Hannah Auvil to make the game 4-1 in favor of the Golden Bears.

KU added to its lead in the fifth inning with two more runs, but Ally Maddy left two runners on as she came in relief off Caitlyn Kassay with one out in the fifth.

Riggs doubled to the right-center gap in the seventh to plate Katy Darnell as the Falcons got within four runs of the Golden Bears in the last frame of the game. The Falcons fell 6-2 with Kassay registering the loss in the pitching circle.

Darnell and Riggs each went 2-4 in the contest with Riggs adding an RBI to her season totals. Hannah Workman and Moyer also chipped in a hit as well.

Fairmont State will now prepare for the 12:30 p.m. elimination game tomorrow afternoon and will face No. 4 Mercyhurst on the campus of Kutztown University.