May 1, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Penn State softball team (28-19, 7-8 Big Ten) had its bats come alive on Saturday, but it wasn't enough was Northwestern won, 8-6, at Drysdale Field. Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) hit her first collegiate homer in the fifth inning and Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif.) knocked in three runs.
The Nittany Lions loaded the bases in the second inning when Lauren Rossi (Yardley, Pa.), Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.), and Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) walked. Desi Giordano (West Caldwell, N.J.) garnered the first PSU hit of the day with a single to right field and a quick 1-0 lead. Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) earned her team leading 24th walk of the season, forcing in another run for a two-run margin with one out. At that point, starting Northwestern hurler Lauren Delaney was pulled from the game in favor of Jessica Smith.
Hill came up with two outs and cleared the bases with a looping double to right field for a five-run margin. The Nittany Lions eventually batted around when Yao walked on five pitches to bring up lead-off batter in the inning in Rossi. The five-run frame was the highest since a six-run outburst at Kent State on Mar. 31.
Northwestern would immediately answer in the bottom half when Michelle Batts hit a double to right and Emily Haug drove in pinch-runner Kelly Quinn to cut the lead to four. NU would get runners on first and second before Hill struck out two straight bringing up Emily Allard, who singled to load them up. A walk brought in a second Wildcat run. Adrienne Monka's double scored three more and tied the game up at five apiece through two complete innings.
After a pair of scoreless innings for both teams, Yao stepped up the plate in the fifth to lead things off. Yao ripped a full count pitch deep over the center field wall for her first homer of the season and a 6-5 Penn State lead. Yao became the ninth different Nittany Lion to hit her first collegiate home run this season.
Northwestern responded in the bottom half of the inning when the Wildcats received a lead-off walk and a bunt single before Batts hit a three-run homer to right field for an 8-6 NU lead through five complete innings. The Nittany Lions couldn't muster a response, dropping the first game of the series.
Penn State and Northwestern renew the series on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. ET broadcast on Big Ten Network. The game will also have live stats coverage on GameTracker and live commentary on Twitter (@PSULionSoftball).
--NITTANY LIONS--