April 14, 2012
Game One Box Score |Game Two Box Score | Photo Gallery
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State softball (12-23, 4-7 Big Ten) won the second game of a Big Ten doubleheader, 5-2, over Indiana (21-19, 5-6 Big Ten) on Saturday evening at drizzly Beard Field. The Hoosiers took game one 12-6 in a back-and-forth opener. Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) posted a 4-for-6 day with four runs scored, two RBI and three doubles to pace the Nittany Lion offense. Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) dealt a gem in game two to earn her first collegiate game.
GAME ONE
Indiana used a five-run sixth inning to power past Penn State, 12-6, in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader. Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) paced the Nittany Lion offense with two doubles and two RBI, while Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) hit her fifth home run of the year.
PSU found itself down 5-2 entering the bottom of the fifth, taking the first lead of the game with four runs. Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) cut the lead to 5-3 as her pop up to shallow leftfield was caught by IU shortstop Shelby Gogreve as Shannon Hutchinson (Sewell, N.J.) scampered home. Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) followed with a two-run single to score Bell and Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) and tie the score at five. Yao sent a massive double that just missed being a two-run home run to score Hatfield from first and give the Lions the lead.
The Hoosiers responded with timely hitting and took advantage of a couple Penn State miscues to pour five on the board in the sixth. An error at second allowed Amanda Wagner to score from third and tie the game again. Sam Berenter's double to rightfield scored two more runs. IU would add two more runs for a 10-6 advantage before putting two more across in the seventh for the final 12-6 line.
Bell cut into a 5-0 Indiana lead with a solo home run to straightaway centerfield. Her fifth dinger, Bell moved into 11th all-time at Penn State with her 13th career home run. Bell went 1-for-2 with two runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch in the opener. Yao would later make it 5-2 on a double to left-centerfield to score Johnson from second.
Indiana out-hit Penn State 9-5 in the opener as IU starter Lora Olson (13-11) took the victory on the mound. Olson went five innings with five hits, six earned runs and five walks allowed, while striking out two and plunking two. PSU hurler Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) took the loss in relief going 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and six earned runs, while walking six and fanning three.
GAME TWO
Behind the bat and arm of Wheatley, the Nittany Lions earned a split with Indiana by winning the nightcap 5-2. Wheatley tossed a complete game to earn her first collegiate victory allowing just two earned runs and two walks. At the plate, she went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in and a walk.
The Nittany Lions opened the scoring in the second when Wheatley belted her first extra-base hit of her career, driving home Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) from first base and Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) from second. The runs batted in were Wheatley's first in college after her RBI single on Wednesday vs. Temple were wiped out due to weather.
The Lions would score again with Wheatley at the plate as she walked on a full count and the pitch got away from Hoosier catcher Cassie Gogreve, allowing Hatfield to score from third for a 3-0 lead.
Penn State looked to threaten again in the fifth inning as Bell and Renwick tallied one-out singles. Sovereign laced a single to centerfield, but Bell was called out at home on a throw from centerfield. A strikeout ended the Nittany Lion threat stranding Renwick and Sovereign on third and second, respectively.
Indiana rallied in the top of the sixth as back-to-back doubles by Shannon Cawley and Wagner made it 3-1. Wagner advanced to third on a grounder to second and she came home on a single by Cassie Gogreve. Wheatley buckled down to get Shelby Gogreve swinging at strike three and a ground out to second base to end the Hoosier scoring opportunity.
The Lions returned fire with a couple insurance runs by two seniors Ashley Todd (Mill Creek, Wash.) and Danee Collett (Rogersville, Tenn.) With two outs, Todd singled home Yao from third base and Collett provided a pinch-hit double to score pinch-runner Alicia Walker (Los Alamitos, Calif.) from first base.
Yao posted another 2-for-3 game scoring both times on base, while Hatfield was 1-for-2 with two runs scored as well. Renwick had a two-hit evening as the Nittany Lions pounded 10, matching the Hoosier output.
Penn State concludes its home stand on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against Indiana. The matchup will have live stats on GoPSUsports.com GameTracker, while updates will be provided Twitter (@PSULionSoftball) and Facebook (PennStateSoftball). The game will also be carried live over the air on GoPSUsports.com All-Access as well as on 1390 AM WRSC in the State College area.
--NITTANY LIONS--