March 15, 2013
FULLERTON, Calif. - Penn State softball dropped its 2013 Judi Garman Classic opener to No. 14/19 Arizona, 10-2, in five innings Friday afternoon in Fullerton, Calif. Cassidy Bell hit her 11th home run of the season in the bottom the fifth to account for both of the Nittany Lions' (6-13) runs against the Wildcats (20-6).
The Blue and White return to action at 8:30 p.m. ET Friday against Texas.
Estela Pinon (7-2) earned the win in the circle for Arizona, allowing five hits in the complete-game effort. Freshman pitcher Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) faced all but two batters after sophomore Marissa Diescher (0-3) started the game for Penn State. Jones struck out three while allowing 13 hits. Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) led the Lions offensively, going 2-3 at the plate with a double and a home run.
Freshman Reina Furuya (Waipahu, Hawaii) finished 2-2 with a pair of singles while classmate Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.) singled and scored in the fifth.
Arizona took advantage of three walks to start the game to plate a pair of runs for an early lead. After Jones forced a pair of infield popups, Mandie Perez sent a two-out single up the middle to bring around Hallie Wilson and Chelsea Suitos.
The Wildcats utilized the long ball in the second to add to their lead. Leadoff batter Wilson belted a solo home run to right field before Suitos singled with a bunt and Chelsea Goodacre tallied a two-run HR back to right to make it 5-0.
A three-run fourth inning for Arizona moved the score to 8-0 before the Wildcats put up their final two runs of the day in the top of the fifth. Bell's shot over the fence in right field scored Knief, who reached on a single through the left side, in the bottom of the frame but it wasn't enough to avoid the eight-run rule to end the game.