April 10, 2012
Series Notes | Promotions | 2012 Yearbook | Facebook | Twitter | Nittany Lion Softball Park
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State softball team will try to extend its four-game winning streak when Temple visits Happy Valley on Wednesday for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader. The Nittany Lions are coming off an exciting three-game sweep of Michigan State this past weekend and are 4-1 during a 10-game home stand at Beard Field. Both games can be followed live on BTN.com's streaming services with live stats through GameTracker on GoPSUsports.com along with commentary on Twitter (@PSULionSoftball) and Facebook (PennStateSoftball).
PROMOTIONS
Penn State marketing will be handing free posters and magnets to all fans in attendance. The originally scheduled seat cushion giveaway will now take place May 11 vs. Ohio State.
TICKET INFORMATION
All tickets are general admission for $5 per game. Penn State students with ID are free of charge and groups of 15 or more are $3 per person. Fans will have two ways of purchasing tickets-at the Nittany Lion Softball Park ticket office on game days and the Bryce Jordan Center box office-to all softball games¬ this year. Nittany Lion Softball Park and its ticket office will open one hour prior to first pitch on all game days.
While there are no season tickets available, fans will be able, and are encouraged, to purchase tickets in advance for all games this year. The Bryce Jordan Center ticket office will be offering softball tickets during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) as well as over the phone at (814) 865-5555. If fans wish to purchase advance tickets in person at the BJC box office no additional fees will be included, while over-the-phone purchases will incur a $1 per ticket fee. Groups interested in purchasing tickets are encouraged to contact Joel Diamond at (814) 867-2557.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (11-22, 3-6 Big Ten)
Games 34-35: Apr. 11 • Nittany Lion Softball Park • University Park, Pa.
SERIES COVERAGE
Game 1: | BTN.com Video
Game 2: | BTN.com Video
SERIES INFORMATION
VENUE: Nittany Lion Softball Park (1,084)
COVERAGE: BTN.com Live Stream
SERIES RECORD vs. TU: 27-15
LAST MEETING: 3/14/03, TU 5-6 (at Plant City, Fla.)
NEXT SERIES: Apr. 14-15 vs. Indiana
SERIES STORIES
• Nittany Lions host Temple in a mid-week home doubleheader on Wednesday
• PSU meets TU, a former Atlantic 10 rival, for the 43rd and 44th times
• Penn State is coming off a three-game sweep of Michigan State
• Temple has lost 5 its past 6, but beat A-10 favorite Fordham on Saturday
• PSU is enjoying a 10-game home stand, sitting 4-1 halfway through
• Penn State hit 5 home runs, 4 doubles and out-scored MSU 22-13 in 3 games
• The Nittany Lions have struck 6 lead-off homers this season
• Kasie Hatfield hit .636, slugged 1.091 with 2 doubles, a homer, 5 RBI vs. MSU
• Cassidy Bell hit 2 homers, a double and drove home 5 RBI against MSU
• Freshman Marissa Diescher is 2-0 in her last three starts with a 1.29 ERA
Senior hurler Lisa Akamine went 2-0 with 19 strikeouts vs. Michigan State
• Lauren Yao hit a massive three-run homer against MSU on her 21st birthday
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Temple (17-16, 5-3 Atlantic 10) enters the Wednesday doubleheader having lost six of its last seven with the lone win a 6-5 decision over A-10 favorite and defending champion Fordham on Saturday. The Owls are led in the circle by Brooklin White (10-7, 3.28 ERA) and USF transfer Capri Catalano (3-7, 3.08). White has 57 strikeouts and 60 walks in 102.1 innings of work, while Catalano has 45 Ks and 33 walks in 72.2 innings. As a staff, the Owls have a 3.35 ERA and .253 average against. At the plate, Temple hits .246 with 38 doubles led by Sarah Prezioso (.343). Prezioso leads the team in hits (35), triples (5), RBI (21), and slugging (.510). Stephanie Pasquale (.290) bolsters the offense with her nine doubles, two homers and 18 RBI, while Ali Robinson (.280) sets the table with her team-high 26 runs and .391 on-base percentage.
SERIES HISTORY vs. TU
All-Time Record: PSU leads 27-15
PSU Streak: 1 loss
First Meeting: 5/2/77, PSU 9-3
Last Meeting: 3/14/03, TU 6-5
Last PSU Win: 3/6/00, 4-3 (8)
Last TU Win: 3/14/03, 6-5
Largest PSU Win: 9-3 (`77), 7-1 (`88)
Largest TU Win: 10-0, 4/11/89
Penn State and Temple used to be rivals in the Atlantic 10 until PSU joined the Big Ten in 1992. The Owls' last visit to Happy Valley came in 1989 as the two teams split a doubleheader 3-1 (PSU), 10-0 (TU). The last meeting took place in Plant City, Fla. in 2003 as Temple took a 6-5 victory. The last PSU win in the series was an 3-0 victory when Jaci Kalp threw her second collegiate no-hitter.
SWEEPING SPARTY
Penn State swept Michigan State in its Big Ten home opener (Apr. 7-8) by the scores of 4-3, 11-5 and 7-5 (9 inn.). The three-game sweep was the first for PSU since May 1-2, 1999 when the Nittany Lions dispatched Indiana, the last year of Big Ten three-game series. Penn State tallied four runs in the fourth to overcome a 3-0 deficit in game one as Alyssa Sovereign's bases-loaded walk forced home the deciding run. Marissa Diescher picked up her first Big Ten victory with a complete game performance. MSU took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two on Saturday before the Nittany Lions scored 11 of the next 13 runs. Cassidy Bell gave the Lions a 4-3 lead with a three-run homer in the second. Lauren Yao homered on her 21st birthday in the next inning, another three-run blast to take a 7-3 lead. Sovereign capped the homer party with a two-run dinger and an 11-5 victory as Lisa Akamine won behind six innings of three hit ball, allowing one earned run and striking out 12. Penn State swept the series on Sunday in dramatic fashion as Kasie Hatfield's ninth-inning two run homer to win 7-5. The Lions scored four times in the fourth and Bell homered in the fourth to cap a five-home run weekend. Hatfield went 7-for-11 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI, while Bell had two homers and five RBI as well in the series. Akamine won her second straight decision in relief on Sunday, going 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
HOME SWEET HOME
Penn State is 4-1 at home this season, winning the last four games. Last season the Nittany Lions went 11-8-1 in the inaugural year at Beard Field and Nittany Lion Softball Park. In non-conference games, Penn State is 7-5 at Beard Field all-time.
LEAD ME HOME
The Nittany Lion offense came alive this weekend against Michigan State highlighted by five home runs, including Cassidy Bell's lead-off shot in the Sunday winner. It was Bell's second lead-off homer (3/24/12 at Michigan) and the Nittany Lions' sixth this season. Alyssa Sovereign leads the way with three home runs, all of which were during the first at-bat of the game. The other lead-off homer came from Kailyn Johnson vs. No. 8 Oklahoma (3/16).
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Junior centerfielder Cassidy Bell sat out 18 games from February until her return on Mar. 24 at Michigan due to an emergency appendectomy. Since her return, Bell has been on fire and one of the most consistent hitters in the country, tallying five multi-hit games in the last 10 outings. Currently, she's hitting .360, having posted a hit in 12 of the 15 games she's played. Her return saw an 0-for-3 showing at Michigan, but since then she has gone 15-for-34 (.441) at the plate with four home runs, a double and a triple. In the series at Purdue, Bell hit .636 (7-for-11), before going 4-for-12 against Michigan State (.333). She has raised her career average to .311 during the 10-game hitting barrage, which has seen her reach base in every game. She's also on a four-game hitting streak, while slugging .882 in the last 10 games.
RPI FACTS
Penn State is currently ranked 91st in the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) release on Monday, Apr. 9, a seven-spot improvement from the previous week. The Nittany Lions have faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation with 14 games against the RPI top 50 and 25 against the top 100. Overall, Penn State is 6-19 against the Top 100 including three wins vs. top 50 foes. The best Nittany Lion wins have come against LSU (No. 19), Auburn (No. 26) and Virginia Tech (No. 29). This week's opponent, Temple, is ranked 140th.
RANKING SUCCESS
Penn State has played arguably one of the toughest schedules in the country. In the current NFCA/USA Softball Top 25, PSU has played six opponents in Oklahoma (6th/6th), La.-Lafayette (8th/7th), South Florida (18th/16th), Michigan (20th/20th), LSU (22nd/21st) and North Carolina (24th/24th). The Nittany Lions are 2-7 against ranked teams (when played) with victories at then-No. 22 LSU (5-2, Feb. 10) and over then-No. 19 Auburn (2-1, Mar. 4). Auburn and N.C. State are receiving votes in the USA Softball poll, both teams PSU beat.
Game recaps and older notes can also be found in the PDF document.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State concludes its 10-game home stand this weekend when it welcomes Big Ten foe and 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Indiana on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 2:00 p.m., while Sunday's action kicks off at 1:00 p.m. All three games can be heard live on GoPSUsports.com All-Access as well as 1390 AM WRSC in the State College area.
--NITTANY LIONS--