Feb. 24, 2013
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Penn State softball captured its third win of the season against Iowa State, 9-8, in eight innings Sunday afternoon at the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Nittany Lions put up five runs over the final three innings to erase a four-run deficit and move their record to 3-3 (0-0 Big Ten) while the Cyclones drop to 7-4 (0-0 Big 12).
Penn State wraps up the Carolina Classic with a 4:30 p.m. game against North Carolina. Both Saturday contests were cancelled due to rain and low temperatures.
After holding Iowa State off the board in the top of the eighth, the Blue and White didn't waste time taking advantage of the international extra inning rule in the bottom of the frame. With Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) starting the inning at second base, Shannon Hutchinson (Sewell, N.J.) sent a slow grounder to the pitcher to move Yao to third and Alyssa Renwick (Laurens, S.C.) bombed a game-winning sacrifice fly to center field to score the run and end the contest.
Freshman Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) earned her third win of the season in the circle after throwing 6.2 innings in relief of starter Marissa Diescher (Livingston Manor, N.Y.). The rookie hurler struck out five and allowed just five hits in the win.
Senior Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) racked up a career-high six RBI with a pair of home runs, including her grand slam in the third. The six RBI matched the output by Jones against New Mexico State Feb. 16 and the two are now tied for second in the program's single-game record book behind Shana Madura's effort against Bucknell in 2007. Bell now has five home runs this season.
Freshman Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.) finished 3-4 at the plate with three of Penn State's 14 hits. Renwick and Karlie Habitz (Newhall, Calif.) both finished with a pair of hits.
Iowa State grabbed its first lead of the day with a three-run second inning before Penn State responded with a four-spot in in the bottom of the third. Hutchinson, Renwick and Knief loaded the bases on a fielder's choice and pair of singles, respectively, before Bell rocketed a shot over the fence in right center to score them all.
After the Cyclones put up five runs over the fifth and sixth innings, the Nittany Lions grabbed one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Lauren Anderson (Valencia, Calif.) singled to center field to bring home Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) from second. In the seventh, Knief singled through the right side before Bell sent a 2-2 pitch out of the park in center, her second HR of the day, to claw the Blue and White to a one-run deficit. Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) followed up with a double to the wall and Habitz doubled to bring home pinch runner Alicia Walker (Los Alamitos, Calif.).