March 29, 2013
University Park, Pa. - Penn State led early and rallied late but could not overcome No. 13/14 Michigan as the Nittany Lions fell, 7-4, in the team's Big Ten and home opener Friday evening at Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park. The Lions (7-17) host the Wolverines (27-7) again at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Due to the inclement weather expected, Sunday's game against Michigan has been moved to Saturday as the teams will now play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The scheduled Easter egg hunt and the team autograph session will take place after the second game. All tickets for Sunday's game will be honored Saturday.
Junior Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) tied a career-high with three hits against the Wolverines, marking her first multi-hit game of 2013 and the 16th of her career. Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) notched her 14th home run of the season and 31st of her career in the first frame and is now just three bombs away from tying all-time career leader Shannon Salsburg (1995-98). Penn State pitcher Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) tossed her fifth complete game of the season while striking out five Wolverines.
Michigan pitcher Haylie Wagner (7-1) picked up the win with no earned runs allowed after relieving starter Sara Driesenga in the third. Nicole Sappingfield and Sierra Lawrence led the Maize and Blue with a pair of hits each.
Penn State jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning after Bell connected on a 2-2 pitch to homer over the left field wall and bring home Sovereign, who singled earlier in the frame. With the two RBI, Bell tied Hollee Haines (2005-08) for eighth all-time with 101 in her career. She also moved to third place in total bases with 320, passing Salsburg (317).
The Wolverines answered back with three runs in the top of the second inning after senior Ashley Lane led off with a solo shot to left field and sophomore Driesenga followed up with a two-run home run later in the inning to give Michigan a 3-2 lead.
After Michigan put up four more runs over the last four innings, Penn State rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) opened the scoring with a double down the left line before being replaced on the basepaths by rookie Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.). In the following at-bat, classmate Karlie Habitz (Newhall, Calif.) sent a ball toward UM third baseman Amy Knapp, whose throw flew by first, allowing Knief to score from second and put Habitz on first. With freshman Maegan Tupinio (Wahiawa, Hawaii) running for Habitz, Sovereign singled to right center before Reina Furuya (Waipahu, Hawaii) dropped a fly ball just inside the right line in front of outfielder Sappingfield to score Tupinio and set the final tally at 7-4.
This was the 58th meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Wolverines. Penn State is now 1-2 in home openers at Nittany Lion Softball Park and 31-16 all time.