March 7, 2012
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Penn State softball fell in a mid-week contest, 5-2, to Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday at Eddie C. Moore Complex. Alyssa Renwick (Laurens, S.C.) tallied a career-high three-hit afternoon including an RBI as PSU's rally fell short.
Penn State (6-9) found itself down 3-0 after two innings and mounted two one-run innings in the third and fourth to cut it to 3-2. Renwick drove home pinch-runner Alicia Walker (Los Alamito, Calif.) from second base in the third inning. Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) doubled home Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the fourth inning.
Down 5-2, Penn State loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out as Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.), Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) and Renwick tallied three straight singles. Miami (11-4) pitcher Jessica Simpson registered a strikeout and a grounder to end the game, improving to 6-4. Simpson scattered seven hits and worked around two unearned runs as she struck out 11 and walked none.
Miami leapt out to a two-run lead in the first inning on a two-run homer by Bree Lipscomb. The RedHawks made it 3-0 the following frame when Kirstie Fehrenbach's RBI infield single scored Jordan Mcelroy. When Penn State got within a run at 3-2, Miami added a run in the fourth on an infield single and one more in the sixth on a bloop single for a 5-2 lead.
Senior Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) took the loss allowing 11 hits and four earned runs, while striking out four Miami hitters. Akamine fell to 4-5 on the season.
Penn State returns to the diamond on Friday against Virginia Tech to open the USF Under Armour Showcase at 11:30 a.m. The game, which will be played at South Florida, will be followed by a 2:00 p.m. game against the Bulls.
--NITTANY LIONS--