May 8, 2015
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Buckeye Field | Columbus, Ohio| | |
Big Ten Tournament - Quarterfinal
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Top-seed Michigan scored 13 runs in the second inning to beat the Penn State softball team, 16-1, in the second game of the Big Ten Tournament at Ohio State on Friday. The blue and white only managed one hit, a home run by Kristina Brackpool (Valencia, Calif.).
The Nittany Lions finish the season with a 29-28 record overall. The team's 29 wins is the most in program history since 2011.
Brackpool got the game's first score in the top of the second. With two outs, she knocked a shot over the left field wall, Penn State's first home run of the tournament, to put the Nittany Lions up, 1-0. It was her 11th homer of the year to give her sole possession of fifth place in the program's single-season list. It was also her second homer of the season against Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Megan Betsa.
However, No. 3 Michigan (49-6) responded in dramatic fashion, opening the floodgates in the bottom of the frame. The Wolverines hit three singles, three doubles, a triple and three home runs, including a grand slam, to take a 13-1 lead into the third inning.
The Wolverines added another run in the third inning on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and two runs in the fourth on a walk and an RBI groundout.
Freshman Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) started the game in the circle, her 21st of the year. Cummings pitched 1.1 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, while striking out two and walking one.
Sophomore Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) replaced Cummings with one out in the second. Laubach went a third of an inning, allowing six runs on four hits and walking four.
Senior Marissa Diescher (Livingston Manor, N.Y.) made her 15th appearance of the season with two outs in the second. She went two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run and four walks, but did not give up a hit.
Junior Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) closed out the game for the Lions, allowing two runs on two hits and walking one in 1.2 innings.