April 24, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Tied after five innings and a two-hour rain delay, Penn State received a clutch RBI single from Macy Jones to move past Kent State, 2-1, Wednesday evening at Beard Field and Nittany Lion Softball Park. The Nittany Lions (12-30, 2-14 Big Ten) produced just one other hit, a leadoff home run from Cassidy Bell, but it was enough to end the team's 2013 non-conference slate with a victory over the Golden Flashes (22-17-1, 11-5 MAC).
The second game of the doubleheader against Kent State was cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Penn State travels to Iowa City, Iowa, for its final road series of the year against Big Ten foe Iowa. The Lions and Hawkeyes kick things off at 7 p.m. ET Friday.
Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) (2-3) picked up her second win of the season after lasting 6.1 innings against Kent State, allowing just one run while scattering five hits and striking out two. Jones (Ashburn, Va.) entered to face the final two batters of the contest, earning the first save of her career. Kent State's Emma Johnson (16-9) was dealt the loss in the circle after allowing both runs on two hits.
Bell's home run, her school-record 19th of the year, increases her hitting streak to five games and marks the 200th hit of her career. Jones' RBI is her 27th of the year.
Penn State started off strong in the first as Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) launched a full-count offering over the left field fence to give the Blue and White an early lead.
With one out in the third, Johnson walked Shannon Hutchinson (Sewell, N.J.) before intentionally sending Bell to first. Jones moved the runners to third and second, respectively, with a grounder to short but the Nittany Lions were unable to move either players across home.
Kirkpatrick led off the fourth with a double to right for Kent State, but strong throws from Taylor Abeyta (San Diego, Calif.) and Reina Furuya (Waipahu, Hawaii) beat the runner to third as Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.) applied the tag for the first out of the frame.
The Flashes tied the game in the following inning after Jessacca Gironda singled and stole second before a single up the middle from Lauren Kesterson drove the runner home. The inning was the lone frame of the game with multiple hits for either team.
At 4:13 p.m. the teams left the field and the tarp came out minutes before a wide band of rain moved across the area. The Penn State defense took the field 6:12 p.m. and quickly secured three outs before reclaiming the lead in the bottom of the inning. After drawing her second intentional walk of the day, Bell advanced a base when the Kent catcher threw down to an empty second base. In the following at-bat, Jones drove a 3-2 pitch up the middle to bring Bell home and give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead.
Kent State started off its final opportunity on offense with a single down the middle hit by Lauren Balodis before a sacrifice bunt from Michele Duffy moved her to second. Jones then entered the game on the mound and forced back-to-back pop ups from the Flashes to preserve the lead and pick up the save.