May 3, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State University softball team (34-21, 6-11 Big Ten) once again took one of the top teams in the country, the #6 University of Michigan (47-5, 17-2 Big Ten), to extra innings but fell 2-0. The 10-inning epic battle came on the heels of last weekend's 14-inning marathon against #12 Northwestern University in which PSU fell 1-0.
Senior Ashley Esparza (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro) once again stepped up to the competition holding the Wolverines scoreless for 9.2 innings before the Findlay sisters broke the game open with back-to-back homeruns. Esparza went the complete 10.0 innings while striking out two and allowing just one walk. Esparza also produced PSU's first hit of the game in the fourth as she doubled to right center.
The Nittany Lions came within inches of scoring runs in both the third and seventh innings but came up just shy. In the third, redshirt freshman Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif./Leigh) reached first off a hit by pitch and was replaced by pitch runner Carnie Smith (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington). Senior Jen Acunto (Hollywood, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Smith to second before junior Shana Madura (Slate Hill, N.Y./Minisink Valley) would hit a bloop to shallow centerfield that Michigan outfielder Molly Bausher would catch while making a full speed head first dive ending the inning.
In the seventh with two outs, junior Sam Hovanec (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) ripped a line drive triple off the top of the right centerfield fence that came within inches of being a solo homerun that would have gave the Nittany Lions a 1-0 win.
Along with Esparza's and Hovanec's hits senior Hollee Haines (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) and Acunto registered singles for PSU's only hits.
Freshman Jordan Taylor picked up the win for the Wolverines as she pitched the final 3.1 innings of the game.
The Nittany Lions will return to action tomorrow at noon as they close out the regular season against the University of Michigan. The team will honor their five seniors approximately 20 minutes prior to the game as they take to Nittany Lion Filed for the final time.