April 13, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Penn State posted a season-high four home runs and Cassidy Bell set the program's single-season record with her 17th of the season, but it was not enough to overcome Ohio State as the Scarlet and Gray secured a 16-7 victory in five innings Saturday afternoon.
The Nittany Lions (10-25, 1-9 Big Ten) face the Buckeyes (25-14, 5-6 Big Ten) in the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday at Buckeye Field. The Blue and White then return home for a Wednesday doubleheader against Purdue at Nittany Lion Softball Park.
Bell's (Bakersfield, Calif.) leadoff home run in the first inning, the 34th of her career, also tied Shannon Salsburg (1995-98) for the all-time career record at Penn State. The senior outfielder extended her hitting streak to seven games while reaching safely in 18-consecutive contests. She has recorded a hit in 30 of 35 games this year.
Six Nittany Lions combined to post eight hits as seniors Alyssa Renwick (Laurens, S.C.) and Kailyn Johnson (Yorba Linda, Calif.) notched two apiece. Johnson hit her fourth home run of the season while Karlie Habitz (Newhall, Calif.) and Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) hit their third and second homers of the year, respectively. Habitz posted her fifth multi-RBI performance of the year while matching a career-best with three RBI. Yao recorded her third multi-RBI game with a pair of runs batted in.
Starting pitcher Marissa Diescher (Livingston Manor, N.Y.) (0-6) earned the loss after giving up three earned runs in the first before junior Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) entered the game with one out in the first. Wheatley tossed three innings for the Lions while Rachel Myers (Millheim, Pa.) wrapped up the game by throwing a scoreless 0.2 innings. Ohio State's Kasie Kelly picked up the win with five earned runs given up over 4.2 IP.
Penn State grabbed a quick lead after solo home runs from Bell and Johnson put them up, 2-0, before the Buckeyes produced a nine-spot in the bottom of the frame. The Nittany Lions earned two runs back when Renwick singled to right and scored on Yao's two-run blast to left center.
After Ohio State gathered seven runs over the third and fourth innings, Penn State's rally in the top of the fifth fell short despite Habitz' three-run home run to right field that brought home freshman Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) and Johnson, who reached on a walk and single, respectively.
Penn State has now hit 11 home runs in the last five games, including a three-HR effort in an 11-7 win at Pittsburgh Wednesday evening.