| Sophomore Jenn Reynolds pitched 3.0 innings of scoreless relief Friday night in Madison, Wisc. Penn State lost 3-0 to the Badgers in game one of the two-game series. |
MADISON, Wisc. ?C April 28, 2006 ?C The Penn State softball team fell to 33-19 (6-9 Big Ten) Friday, as the Nittany Lions fell to Wisconsin (21-19, 5-8 Big Ten) by a score of 3-0 at Goodman Softball Complex.
The Nittany Lions came out swinging in the top of the first, as Jen Williams (Stillwater, Okla.) and Ashley Esparza (San Pedro, Calif.) each connected for back-to-back singles on three Badger pitches. A Jen Acunto (Hollywood, Fla.) sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third but a groundout to pitcher Eden Brock and a putout by second baseman Theresa Boruta ended the inning for Penn State.
In the bottom of the inning, Wisconsin connected for three quick hits as the Lions found themselves in a bases loaded, no-out situation. The Penn State defense then responded quickly, behind red shirt senior pitcher Missy Beseres (Golden Valley, Minn.) as Beseres picked up her first strikeout of the game and Esparza caught an infield fly to send the Badgers to the field.
The bottom of the third saw Badger right fielder Katie Hnatyk connect for her second hit of the game with one out on the board. After a Beseres walk put runners on first and second, left fielder Valyncia Raphael slammed a three-run homerun over the left field wall to put the Badgers up 3-0.
Sophomore Jenn Reynolds (Clovis, Calif.) came in to relieve Beseres in the top of the fourth as Beseres would give up an uncharacteristic six hits in three innings. Reynolds held the Badgers to just two hits and no runs in the remaining four innings of play, but the Nittany Lions themselves could not get their offense rolling, as they fell to the Badgers, 3-0.
Penn State will finish their two-game series with Wisconsin tomorrow at 12 p.m. CDT (1 p.m. EST). On Sunday, the Lions travel to Iowa for a doubleheader vs. the Hawkeyes with action starting at 10 a.m. CDT (11 a.m. EST) in Iowa City. Penn State will return home next weekend to finish regular-season play with a two-game series vs. Ohio State at Nittany Lion Field.