March 28, 2014
6 (24-6, 5-0 B1G) | University Park, Pa.. • Nittany Lion Softball park & Beard Field | 0 (6-20, 0-5 B1G) |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa; March 28, 2014 - The Penn State softball team was unable to overcome a slew of offensive and defensive miscues on Friday evening as the Nittany Lions dropped a pair of games to No. 6 Michigan in the second weekend of Big Ten play. Karlie Habitz (Newhall, Calif.) led the Blue and White with a 3-for-5 performance at the dish but her achievements were not enough as the Wolverines defeated the Lions 6-0 in game one and 22-0 in game two.
PSU registered just five hits on the night with Shelby Miller (Sugar Land, Texas) and Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.) adding on to Habitz's three hits. The pair of shutouts marks the first back-to-back scoreless outings for the Lions this season.
Sierra Romero set the pace for Michigan, going 6-for-8 at the dish with five runs, two RBI and a double. Wolverine pitcher Haylie Wagner collected the win in the first game, improving to 16-0 on the year as she allowed just one hit while Sara Driesena picked up the victory in the second game of the twin bill.
The Lions (6-20, 0-5 Big Ten) and the Wolverines (24-6, 5-0 Big Ten) return to Beard Field on Saturday for the final game of the series. First pitch is slated for Noon.
GAME 1: MICHIGAN 6, PENN STATE 0
Penn State kept the Wolverines off the board in five of the seven innings in the first game but the top of the third proved costly as the Nittany Lions gave up five of Michigan's six runs. The Blue and White turned in just one hit in the opening game of the series as they fell to U-M, 6-0.
Lyndsay Doyle and Abby Ramirez got things started for Michigan, putting the first two run on the board after a Romero single to left field. Sierra Lawrence punched a single to left to send Nicole Sappingfield across the plate and Romero tallied the fourth run for the Wolverines, scoring as Miller and Kristina Brackpool (Valencia, Calif.) attempted to pick off Lawrence, who stole second. A Kelsey Susalla single to center field drove in the final run of the frame as Lawrence headed home.
The Lions kept the Wolverines off the board over the next three innings until Michigan added its sixth run in the top of the seventh. Sappingfield scored the final run of the contest on a Caitlin Blanchard groundout to second base.
Habitz turned in PSU's lone hit of the game in the final frame, shooting a single up the middle. The sophomore's efforts were not enough, however, as the next two hitters were retired by Wagner to end the game at 6-0.
GAME 2: MICHIGAN 22, PENN STATE 0
The Wolverines did not waste any time in the second half of the twin bill, putting up 10 runs in the first two innings alone while holding Penn State scoreless for the second straight game. Habitz led the charge for the Lions once again, going a perfect 2-for-2 at the dish for two of PSU's four hits.
Doyle was the first to score for Michigan in game two as well, crossing the plate on a sac fly from Blanchard. A Driesenga homer over the right field wall brought in four more runs, giving U-M a 5-0 advantage in the first.
PSU attempted to respond in the first as Knief shot a single up the middle for the first hit of the game. Habitz added another single before the end of the inning but their efforts were fruitless as they were unable to cross the plate.
The Wolverines posted five additional runs in the second inning with Ramirez, Doyle, Sappingfield, Romero and Lawrence each scoring. Another four runs in the top of the third brought the count to 14-0 as Ramirez, Sappingfield, Romero and Mary Sbonek were driven in.
Eight Michigan runs were added in the final two innings. Katie Luetkens ripped a three-run homer over left field in the fourth while a Brandi Virgil shot to left center sent Doyle and Ramirez home and Romero and Susalla scored on a Kelly Christner single to left center, bringing the final score to 22-0.