April 26, 2010
Game One: •
Game Two: •
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State softball team (27-16, 7-7 Big Ten) looks to keep the bats hot as it hosts Syracuse (25-20, 9-7 Big East) in the Nittany Lions' final non-conference series on Tuesday afternoon. The doubleheader will begin at 3:00 p.m. and have live audio coverage as well as GameTracker live stats.
SYRACUSE ORANGE
(25-20, 9-7 Big East)
at
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
(28-16, 7-7 Big Ten)
Games #45-46: April 27, 2010 • 3:00 p.m. (DH) • Nittany Lion Field • University Park, Pa.
GAME DAY
VENUE: Nittany Lion Field (1,000)
RADIO: 1390 AM WRSC/GoPSUsports.com All-Access
TALENT (Game 1): Jeremy Kahn (pxp), Alex Braunbeck (color)
TALENT (Game 2): Geno Bizzozzero (pxp), Thomas-Frank Carr (color)
SERIES RECORD vs. SU: Penn State leads 7-1
NEXT SERIES: May 1-2 at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), Saturday at Noon ET, Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET on BTN
GAME STORIES
• The Nittany Lions look to extend overall two-game winning streak and six-game stretch against Syracuse on Tuesday afternoon in final non-conference matchup
• Syracuse and PSU last met in 2008 with Jackie Hill tossing a no-hitter in an 8-0 win
• Nittany Lions hold 7-1 edge all-time against the Orange, winning the last six games
•â€ˆPenn State's bats broke out of their silence with 23 hits in 7-1, 5-2 wins over Iowa
• Cassidy Bell went 5-for-8 with two doubles and three RBI, Lauren Yao went 4-for-7 with three runs scored and Kailyn Johnson was 3-for-6 vs. the Hawkeyes
• Jackie Hill tossed one-hitter on Sat. vs. Iowa and walked none for 13th win of season, Lisa Akamine won her 15th game of the year with just one earned run against on Sun.
• Future home of Penn State softball, Nittany Lion Softball Park, on time for 2011 opener
• Penn State travels to Northwestern for BTN games on Saturday and Sunday
GAME NOTES
SCOUTING THE ORANGE:Syracuse enters Tuesday's doubleheader on a having won two of three from Connecticut this past weekend. The Orange is 25-20 overall with a 9-7 mark in Big East play, sporting power to the gaps (65 doubles, 12 triples) and decent pitching (2.99 ERA, five shutouts). Leading off the lineup for Syracuse are Veronica Grant (.317, 14 2B, 22 RBI, 22 SB), Lisaira Daniels (.373, 53 H, 7 2B, 4 3B, 25 SB) and Hallie Gibbs (.333, 40 H, 8 2B, 4 HR, 37 RBI). In the circle, Jenna Caira has handled the load for the Orange with a 2.49 ERA, going 13-10 in 143.1 total innings, striking out 194 batters against just 62 walks. Backing her up are Brittany Gardner (6-3, 3.35 ERA, 2 shutouts, 42 K, 27 BB), and Stacy Kuwik (6-7, 3.49 ERA, 3 shutouts, 61 K, 31 BB).
For Sagnelli's and Gardner's all-time numbers against Penn State, check out the complete game notes.
SERIES HISTORY:  The Nittany Lions have had their way with Syracuse over the years, going 7-1 in eight meetings in the past nine years. The two teams haven't met since Feb. 24, 2008 when Penn State throttled the Orange 8-0 in five innings at East Carolina. In that game, Jackie Hill threw her first collegiate no-hitter. This is only the second time Syracuse has visited Happy Valley as Penn State swept the Orange with 6-1 and 5-3 wins in 2002. The Nittany Lions are currently riding a six-game winning streak in the series.
To see Hill's line from the 2008 no-hitter against Syracuse, check out the complete game notes.
COMMON OPPONENTS: Penn State and Syracuse share three opponents played during the 2010 season with PSU going 3-2 and the Orange 2-2. Penn State swept Iowa this past weekend, 7-1 and 5-2, while Syracuse dropped a 4-1 game after a 3-2 victory over the Hawkeyes. Both teams beat Towson (PSU 10-1, SU 3-1) and the Lions dropped two games to Illinois (4-0, 3-2), while Syracuse lost one, 7-3.
GETTING HAWKISH AGAINST IOWA: The Nittany Lions broke out of their mid-season swoon and four-game losing streak in a big way, taking out second-place Iowa in a pair of games over the weekend, 7-1 and 5-2. Penn State pounded out 23 hits for a .426 average, out-pacing the Hawkeyes, who only garnered six with a .130 average. Cassidy Bell led the charge going 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles and three RBI, while Lauren Yao combined for a 4-for-7 weekend, scoring three times. Kailyn Johnson added a 3-for-6 showing, while Lauren Rossi's three-run home run on Sunday powered a four-run second inning. Mary Ostman, Desi Giordano and Lisa Akamine each provided two hits over the weekend. Jackie Hill threw a one-hitter, allowing just one earned run, while striking out nine with no walks in Saturday's win, while Akamine notched her 15th victory of the season with a one-earned-run effort, striking out seven and only walking one with five hits allowed. Hill helped herself with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk on Saturday. Morgan Long added two RBI, one in each game with a single and a sacrifice fly. Ashley Todd belted her first career double in Saturday's game driving in a run as well.
TOUGH LOSSES AT MICHIGAN: The No. 2/2 Michigan Wolverines proved why they're one of the best teams in the country with their hitting display on Wednesday, April 21. Michigan hit four home runs and won both games by a score of 8-0 in five innings. Ashley Griffith beat out a grounder for an infield single in Game Two for the Nittany Lions. The losses were the first at Michigan since 2004.
ILLINI SETBACKS: Penn State ran into the buzz saw that was the Illini starting pitcher Monica Perry. Perry was on top of her game allowing just one Nittany Lion hit, a two-out seventh-inning double to Lisa Akamine in a 4-0 PSU loss on April 17. Three second-inning unearned runs gave No. 18/20 Illinois the win despite a 10-strikeout performance by starter Jackie Hill. On April 18, The Illini jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a sacrifice fly and a solo home run. On the sac fly, Penn State appealed to third that the runner left early, but it was denied. In the fourth inning, Ashley Griffith got on with a single to right field and with a Danee Collett sacrifice bunt that was thrown away into right field, Griffith advanced to third and Collett attempted to take second.  The subsequent throw to second was in the dirt and got away from the bag, allowing Griffith to score and cut the lead in half at 2-1. After another Illini solo home run in the fifth gave UI a 3-1 lead, Griffith got on base again in the sixth. She was sacrificed over by Akamine and Lauren Yao ripped a two-out RBI single up the middle to cut the lead to one again at 3-2. PSU attempted to mount a rally in the seventh, but Perry was up to the task and stranded a Nittany Lion runner at first to end the ball game.
GRIFFITH EARNS MCCOY HONOR: Senior outfield Ashley Griffith was named Penn State's female Ernest B. McCoy Award recipient on April 16. The award is presented annually to the top male and top female student-athlete who combine successful athletic participation with academic excellence. McCoy was PSU's athletic director and Dean of the College of Physical Education from 1952-70, his name adorns the natatorium. The men's recipient was soccer forward Jason Yiesley, who was named the conference's most outstanding offensive player and drafted by FC Dallas of the MLS.
FIRST BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD FOR AKAMINE: Sophomore hurler Lisa Akamine garnered her first Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award on Monday, March 29 for her excellent performances in the circle against Saint Francis and Minnesota.  Akamine went 2-0, pitching 18.1 innings with 23 strikeouts, nine hits against and just two earned runs allowed. Akamine was especially impressive against Saint Francis with an 11.1 inning performance in which she allowed just five hits with no walks and struck out 14 batters.
OFFICIAL RADIO BROADCAST HOME:   On Thursday, March 25, Penn State announced the radio home of Nittany Lion softball for the remainder of the 2010 season.  Eight home games will be broadcast on 1390 AM WRSC in the State College area. All of those games will also be streamed on All-Access for free so that fans can tune in and listen. As scheduled, March 27th's game against Minnesota, Game One vs. Pittsburgh (Apr. 6), both Michigan State games (Apr. 14) will kick off the radio slate. Other games to be broadcast are against Illinois (Apr. 17), Iowa (Apr. 24), Syracuse Game One (Apr. 27) and Ohio State (May 8). ComRadio traveled with the team on March 31 to Kent State for a doubleheader, the first away broadcast by a Penn State crew to do a softball game. Other radio additions may be announced at a later date, specifically for away games. Combined with the two Big Ten Network television broadcasts and two bigtennetwork.com webcasts, at least 24 of the final 27 games will have live coverage from the broadcast booth.
Penn State's new stadium is set to open in 2011. |
HOME OF THE FUTURE:  Friday, March 19, 2010 will go down as one of the defining days in Nittany Lion softball history as the Penn State Board of Trustees approved final funding towards the New Nittany Lion Softball Park project. Groundbreaking took place on March 28, 2010 for the 1,084-seat facility that will have all the bells and whistles, which will represent one of the finest facilities in the Big Ten and in the country. Complete with new offices, clubhouses, locker rooms, training areas, batting cages, bullpens, permanent seating, concourse, concessions, bathrooms, dugouts and a brand new press box, the new stadium serve its patrons, coaches and student-athletes as second-to-none. "We are tremendously excited of the Board of Trustees' approval," head coach Robin Petrini said on March 19. "We have been waiting for this day for a long time. Everyone is looking forward to being a part of this project and the student-athletes can't wait to play in one of the best facilities in the nation." Plans call for the stadium to be energy efficient and responsible by design, earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. An official groundbreaking ceremony will take place May 7, 2010.
Pitcher Jackie Hill |
HILL EARNS BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOD: Senior Jackie Hill won her second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honor after compiling a 3-1 mark over the 3/13-14 weekend for Penn State. The senior tossed three complete games, two of which were shutouts, and struck out 31 hitters, allowing just 12 hits and nine walks through 26 innings of work for an 0.81 WHIP. Hill allowed just three earned runs in her four appearances this week for an 0.81 ERA. In appearances against Kennesaw State and Southern Illinois, Hill combined for 18 strikeouts and no runs on seven hits in complete-game victories. She improved her record to 10-4 on the year and had a season ERA of 1.43 following the Mar. 14 games.
400 THE ALMA MATER WAY: Head coach Robin Petrini achieved a milestone achievement when Penn State beat Utah State, 6-1, on Saturday. Petrini, a 1983 graduate of Utah State, where she won two AIAW National Championships as a shortstop, also picked up win No. 401 against San Diego State later that day. She was greeted by a cookie cake and balloons at the hotel to commemorate the achievement. Already the all-time leading coach in wins at Penn State, Petrini has also led the squad to more NCAA appearances (seven) in her 13 years than the program had before her arrival (two). She'll go for win No. 402 against Towson, the team she beat for her first career win back in 1997.
HOTEL ENCANTO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:  Sophomore catcher Danee Colett earned mention on the 2010 Hotel Encanto Invitational All-Tournament Team.  Collett hit a team-high .471 for the weekend with eight hits, one homer and a double, while driving in seven RBI. For the weekend she got on base at a clip of .500 and slugged .706 while posting a nearly flawless performance on behind the plate (40 putouts, zero errors, one passed ball).
BIG STAGE, BIG TEN NETWORK: The Big Ten Network announced its annual televised softball schedule on Feb. 18 and at least four Penn State games will be broadcast live on television or through the network's website, BigTenNetwork.com. Penn State's games at Michigan (4/21) were on the BTN's website, and the two matchups at Northwestern (5/1-2) will be televised. There's a possibility that PSU's games at Indiana (5/14-15) could be picked up as part of the Big Ten Network's wild card weekend.
Left Fielder Ashley Griffith |
GRIFFITH HAS CLASS: Senior outfielder Ashley Griffith is one of just 30 NCAA softball student-athletes to be named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate.  The award is "An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in SchoolTM, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition." Additionally, Griffith is one of just five Big Ten softball student-athletes to be a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate. Finalists were named on March 29, but Griffith was not one of the 10 candidates for inclusion on that list.
PSULIONSOFTBALL ON TWITTER: Nittany Lion softball is now on Twitter. Keep up to date with inside information and exclusive access @PSULionSoftball.
NITTANY LIONS ON YOUTUBE: Check out exclusive interviews after every game on GoPSUsports.com and the GoPSUTV YouTube Channel (Youtube.com/GoPSUTV) and click on the softball playlist on the right side of the page.
NEXT TIME OUT: Penn State hits the road for its first televised series of the year with a two-game set at Northwestern. The first game will be on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network and Sunday's game will be at Noon ET, also on the BTN. Live stats will be provided through GameTracker and live commentary will also be done on Twitter (@PSULionSoftball).
For more information the Penn State Sport Camps 2010 visit PSU Sport Camps
For complete coverage of Penn State softball please visit GoPSUsports.com/sports/w-softbl.
Follow Penn State Softball on Twitter: @PSULionSoftball
--NITTANY LIONS--