UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Junior leftfielder Liana Jones stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the ninth and launched a homer off the scoreboard, lifting the Penn State softball team past the Iowa Hawkeyes in a 3-2 thriller Friday evening on Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park.
The Nittany Lions improve on their record-setting start to the 2023 campaign, climbing to 19-4 overall with a 1-0 start in Big Ten Conference play. Iowa drops to 18-12 with an 0-1 ledger in the league. In the all-time series, PSU cut into Iowa's lead and secured its first win over the Hawkeyes since 2016, moving to 21-42 overall. The Nittany Lions extend their lead since the 2009 campaign to 10-6 ahead of Sunday afternoon's doubleheader.
The Blue & White scattered eight hits on the evening, marking the 13th game of the year for PSU with eight or more. Jones led the way in the box, going 2-for-4 including the walk-off homer and accompanying RBI. Junior designated player Emily Maddock went a whopping 2-for-3 against the Hawkeyes, with both hits being scored as singles. Senior third baseman Michelle Leone finished the night with a pair of runs batted in, going 1-for-3 with a double in addition to a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
In the circle, fifth-year southpaw Bailey Parshall totaled 6.0 innings of work and scattered three hits with only one earned run. The Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, native added five strikeouts in the series opener, bringing her to 100 total punchouts in the 2023 season. Redshirt senior Kylee Lingenfelter also put in three innings of work on Friday, yielding five hits with one earned run in addition to a pair of strikeouts.
After a trio of grueling defensive innings, Iowa lifted the lid on the scoring in the top of the fourth after Nia Carter doubled and advanced to third following a base hit from Tatianna Roman. Tory Bennett knocked a single into center to score Carter and give Iowa the early 1-0 lead. Penn State responded in the bottom of the sixth, with senior first baseman Lexie Black blasting a triple off the right field wall. Leone earned her first RBI of the night with a sac fly to left field, bringing Black home to deadlock the game. After a scoreless seventh inning, Penn State headed into extras for the second-straight game.
Iowa lurched ahead once more in the top of the eighth after Carter singled to center. Roman booked another base hit that moved Carter to second, and Bennett reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in Roman being called out while Carter reached third. Bennett stole second while Denali Loecker was up to bat and Loecker hit a sac fly to center field that plated Carter. Penn State deadlocked the game once again in the bottom of the eighth after Maddock got hit by a pitch and sophomore Lydia Coleman pinch ran for her. Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison bumped Coleman to second on a sac bunt, and Leone drove her in on a double down the left field line.
After being replaced by Lingenfelter in the top of the sixth, Parshall returned to the circle for another inning of work in the ninth, sitting Iowa's batters down one-two-three. Facing Brylee Klosterman as her first batter of the inning, Parshall caught the Hawkeye swinging for her 100th strikeout of the year. A pair of quick outs followed from the PSU defense, bringing Jones up to bat for the Nittany Lions in the bottom of the ninth. After seeing a ball in the first pitch of her at bat, the Langhorne, Pennsylvania, native teed off on Jalen Adams' right-handed toss, blasting a game-winning walk-off homer off the scoreboard in left field to secure the 3-2 result.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Liana Jones: | 2-for-4, 1HR, RBI (walk-off home run)
Michelle Leone | 1-for-3, 2B, 2RBI
Emily Maddock | 2-for-3, 2H
Bailey Parshall | 6.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 5K, 81 TP
KEY INNINGS
T4 | Nia Carter doubled to right field and Tatianna Roman sent one right past Penn State's shortstop. Tory Bennett hit one to center field bringing Carter home. IOWA 1, PSU 0
B6 | Lexie Black knocked a triple off the right field wall. Michelle Leone hit a sac fly to left field sending Black home. PSU 1, IOWA 1
T8 | Carter singled to center field. Roman hit one to left field sending Carter to second. Bennett reached on a fielder's choice to second base which put Roman out while moving Carter to third. Bennett stole second while Denali Loecker was at bat, and Loecker hit a sac fly to center that plated Carter. IOWA 2, PSU 1
B8 | Emily Maddock reached first after getting hit by a pitch. Lydia Coleman came in to pinch run for Maddock. Kaitlyn Morrison booked a sac bunt that sent Coleman to second. Leone doubled to left field bringing Coleman home. PSU 2, IOWA 2
B9 | Liana Jones hit a walk-off homer off the scoreboard in left field to close the night out. PSU 3, IOWA 2
UP NEXT
Penn State softball takes a one-day hiatus from action due to forecasted rain, and will return to Beard Field on Sunday, March 26, with a doubleheader against Iowa on deck. First pitch in the opening game is slated for 11 a.m., with a 1:30 p.m. start tabbed for the weekend finale.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateSB.
