March 3, 2013
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, Penn State softball could not hold off No. 5/9 Texas A&M's offense and ultimately dropped a 12-2 decision Sunday morning at the Citrus Classic. Battling cloudy and chilly conditions for much of the game, the Nittany Lions (3-7, 0-0 Big Ten) could not upset the one-loss Aggies (22-1, 0-0 Big 12) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Nittany Lions wrap up the Citrus Classic at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Longwood.
Freshman Macy Jones (3-3) (Ashburn, Va.) threw 3.2 innings in the start, including three scoreless frames to open the game. Classmate Christy Von Pusch (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) tossed 1.0 while senior Rachel Myers (Millheim, Pa.) saw her first action on the mound this season and recorded the final out of the top of the fifth.
Senior Mel Dumezich (15-0) earned the win for the Aggies. Dumezich entered the contest with just a 0.86 ERA, allowing only 11 earned runs over 89.2 innings while tossing three no-hitters in 2013. The Blue and White could only muster four hits against her as Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.), Karlie Habitz (Newhall, Calif.), Taylor Abeyta (San Diego, Calif.) and Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) each logged one apiece.
The Aggies first threatened in the top of the second with runners on all the bags, but could not push anyone across the plate. Penn State responded in the bottom of the frame to open up an early lead. After Dumezich hit Jones in the back with the first pitch of the inning, Habitz dropped a hit in front of Brittany Clopton in left field to reach first. With Maegan Tupinio (Wahiawa, Hawaii) running for Jones and Alicia Walker (Los Alamitos, Calif.) in for Habitz, Abeyta laid a bunt down the left line and the slow roller didn't give third baseman Amber Garza a chance to throw to first. Hatfield scored Tupinio and Walker after she ripped a line drive back to Clopton for her first two RBI of the season. Dumezich escaped further damage from the Nittany Lions, striking out a pair and forcing a grounder to first to end the inning.
Texas A&M opened its scoring torrent with three home runs in the top of the fourth, beginning when Dumezich sent a solo shot out of the park over right center. After Jenna Stark walked, Garza followed with a home run of her own as she squeezed a high fly just inside the right field line. Nicole Morgan added to the scoring with a two-run blast to give the Aggies a 6-2 lead. After Von Pusch relieved Jones late in the inning, the Aggies used a walk and a single from Garza to center field to bring home the seventh and final run to set the score at 7-2.
In the top of the fifth, the Aggies again put runners on all the bases with one out. Morgan recorded three more RBI after a bases-clearing double to the wall in center. An RBI single for Dumezich scored Tyler before Texas A&M put another trio on the basepaths and added its final run of the game on a walk. Myers ended the inning for Penn State by striking out Breanna Dozier.
Abeyta's bunt single was the first hit of her collegiate career. Bell's single in the opening frame continues her hitting streak to 21 contests.