April 15, 2014
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; April 15, 2014 -- Penn State softball returns to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field after a six-game road swing for a Wednesday doubleheader against regional foe Bucknell. PSU looks to get back in the win column after dropping last Sunday's series finale at Indiana.
The Nittany Lions (12-23, 5-7 Big Ten) and the Bison (15-18, 7-5 Patriot League) take the field at 6 p.m. for the first game and the second contest is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network.
SERIES HISTORY vs. BUCKNELL
The Lions hold a 24-5 advantage over the Bison in the all-time series. Penn State is 14-3 when playing Bucknell in University Park with its last home win coming in a 10-0 decision in five innings on April 24, 2007. Wednesday's matchup will be the first between the two teams at Nittany Lions Softball Park and Beard Field.
The Blue and White swept the Bison in their last meeting, taking home a 6-2 win in the first game and a 15-3 victory in the second game of a twinbill on March 25, 2008.
BREAKING DOWN THE BISON
Bucknell enters the weekend at 15-18 overall after going 1-for-3 against Lehigh over the weekend. The Bison are 7-5 in Patriot League play.
Juniors Cydnee Sanders and sophomore Karen Zahn lead Bucknell offensively as the top two hitters on the squad. Sanders is hitting at an impressive .449 clip with 28 runs and 17 RBI on 48 hits while Zahn is batting .363 with 24 runs and 26 RBI on 37 hits. Zahn leads the team in slugging percentage at .618 and has hit five home runs.
The BU pitching staff has combined for 180 strikeouts in 220 innings. Freshman Lara Bean and sophomore Dana Nielsen lead the Bison in the circle with ERAs of 2.39 and 3.78 through 70.1 and 92.2 innings, respectively. Bean is 6-3 on the year while Nielsen has a record of 6-9.
B1G WINS IN BLOOMINGTON
Penn State found success on the road for the second straight weekend, taking two of three games to claim the series at Indiana. The Nittany Lions defeated the Hoosiers, 4-1, in the series opener on Friday and won 2-1 on Saturday before falling in, 8-7, in eight innings in the series finale on Sunday.
Kasie Hatfield paced PSU's offensive strike, going 7-for-10 at the plate with two doubles and her first home run of the year. The senior drove in seven runs and scored twice over the weekend.
MAKING CONTACT
Sophomore Lexi Knief is the top hitter for PSU through the first 35 outings. The outfielder is 43-for-109 at the plate for a team-best batting average of .394 and has scored a team-high 33 runs. She is tied for second in the league and 14th in the nation in triples with four and has posted six doubles on the year.
The Ramsey, N.J. product leads the Lions and is sixth in the conference with an on-base percentage of .484.
DOUBLING UP
Senior Kasie Hatfield officially earned a spot in the Penn State record books in the series finale at Indiana after registering her 12th double of the year, tying for No. 9 on the single season doubles list.
The Tampa, Fla. product is currently tied for fourth in the league in doubles and ranks 37th in the nation in doubles per game at 0.34.
LAU OF THE LAND
Freshman pitcher Marlaina Laubach has done the bulk of the work in the circle for Penn State, earning wins in eight of PSU's 12 victories, including a signature win over No. 21 LSU and three conference wins. The Northampton, Pa. native has a team-best ERA of 3.46 through 93 innings. She has thrown 54 strikeouts on the season, including a season-high six vs. FAU (2/21) and MSU (4/4).
FORMING GOOD HABITZ
Sophomore Karlie Habitz has been a consistent hitter for PSU all-season and is currently third on the team with a batting average of .337. The Newhall, Calif. product leads the Lions with 28 RBI and owns a slugging percentage of .520. She has registered six doubles and a team-best four home runs. The catcher broke up two no-hitters vs. No. 6 Michigan and went 4-for-8 at the dish.
Habitz posted six RBI in the season opener vs. Oregon State (2/7), a mark that ties for the second most in program history.
MAGNIFICENT MILLER
Shelby Miller has turned in an impressive rookie campaign thus far for Penn State. The freshman has the fourth best batting average on the team at .325 and has been churning out the hits, posting a 26-for-80 mark at the dish through 30 games.
Miller has four extra-base hits under her belt with two double and two triples.
ON DECK
PSU continues its five-game homestand this weekend with a three-game bout vs. Wiconsin. Penn State opens the series against the Badgers on Friday at 6 p.m., and will return to the field for a pair of matchups on Saturday starting at Noon.
Saturday's doubleheader will air live on the Big Ten Network with Wayne Randazzo and Garland (Wiberly) Cooper on the call.