March 10, 2012
Box Scores: CCSU 4, Penn State 3 | USC Upstate 2, Penn State 0
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Penn State softball team fought valiantly on Saturday, but two rallies fell short in losses to Central Connecticut State and USC Upstate. Hurler Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) was the hard luck loser to Upstate, capping a 13-inning day without an earned run allowed and 15 strikeouts. Sophomore slugger Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) smacked her third lead-off homer of the season to highlight a 3-for-6 afternoon.
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 4, PENN STATE 3
Penn State (7-11) fell behind early, 3-0 in the first inning and 4-1 in the second, but never recovered in a 4-3 loss to CCSU (5-4). Akamine shut the door on the Blue Devils with six scoreless frames of four-hit ball, striking out eight CCSU batters.
The Nittany Lions dug an hole as CCSU ran out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run single by Tessa Brown and a chopper single to right by Kelsey Barlow. Penn State responded three pitches into its half-inning as Sovereign struck a home run down the rightfield line, cutting the margin to two. The lead-off home run was Sovereign's third of the season, all since Mar. 2.
Central Connecticut opened the second with a single and a walk, chasing starting pitcher Marissa Diescher (Livingston Manor, N.Y.). Akamine entered the game, giving up an infield single to Arielle Bruno, which she legged out, to stretch the lead to 4-1 in favor of CCSU. Akamine retired the next three batters in succession with two of her eight strikeouts to end the threat.
In the fourth inning, Penn State cut into the lead by a run when Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) scored on a two-out error at second base. Yao led the inning off with a double, her sixth hit in last seven official at-bats. Penn State continued the rally with a Lauren Anderson (Valencia, Calif.) single, but a foul popup ended the scoring opportunity.
The Nittany Lions mounted a furious challenge in the seventh, getting three of the first four batters in the frame on base. Akamine singled to lead off, Sovereign walked and Alyssa Renwick (Laurens, S.C.) gathered an infield single to load the bases. A pop up to third made it two outs before Yao was plunked, making it a one-run game at 4-3. Yao was effective at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and two hits-by-pitches.
Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, CCSU starter Laura Messina (3-2) induced a popup to end the game and win her third decision of the year. Messina allowed six hits with two earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts for the Blue Devils, who won their fifth straight. Their only losses this season are to then-No. 4 Arizona State.
USC UPSTATE 2, PENN STATE 0
In a game of plentiful scoring opportunities, USC Upstate (20-2) cashed in on three Penn State (7-12) errors to eke out a 2-0 win Saturday afternoon. Sovereign and Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) had matching 2-for-3 days, each earning a walk to pace the Nittany Lions. Akamine threw seven strong innings, scattering eight hits without an earned run, striking out seven and walking four.
Between the two teams 22 runners were left on board as Akamine and fellow starter Hanna Alexander (12-1) worked out of jams all day. Akamine left the bases loaded full of Spartans in the fourth as they left seven on base in the first four frames. On the other hand, Alexander gave Penn State fits as the Lions left five on base, three in the scoring position, through four innings.
Upstate took advantage of an inopportune error in the fifth to score the eventual game-winning run. With a runner on second, a liner to rightfield couldn't be corralled to put runners on second and third. A ground out on the next batter would have ended the inning, but Lindsay Kelly singled home pinch-runner Erin Schattle for a 1-0 Spartan lead.
In the top of the seventh, two errors undone Penn State in doubling USC Upstate's lead. A one-out fielding error coupled with a single put runners on first and second. Akamine got an important strikeout before a fielder's choice to short was thrown away, scoring Cheyenne Griffin from third base on the attempted force out. Akamine eventually worked out of the jam with a grounder back to the mound, giving Penn State an opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) singled to lead off the seventh. With one away, Sovereign singled to rightfield setting up a scoring opportunity. A laced fly out to leftfield by Renwick made it two outs before Johnson continued the rally, walking to load the bases. Yao hit a sharp grounder to the leftside that nicked off the third baseman's glove and directly to the shortstop as she stepped on third to end the game.
Akamine fell to 5-7 on the year, while Alexander won her 12th game allowing eight runs and three walks with six strikeouts.
Penn State wraps up its Spring Break trip and the USF Under Armour Showcase on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. vs. Rutgers in Clearwater, Fla.
--NITTANY LIONS--