March 30, 2016
By Mike Gilbert, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - One weekend of Big Ten conference play is in the books for the Nittany Lions, and there are no blemishes on their conference record. Penn State swept Rutgers over the weekend with an offensive explosion, scoring 28 runs in three days.
The Blue and White also made a little history, sweeping a series for the first time when opening on the road in Big Ten play. The offensive burst may have been a result of State's ability to put up runs in the first inning, getting off on the right foot each day in Piscataway.
"It's always good to score first to put the other team on its toes," said sophomore Mollie Sorenson, who drove in three RBI on Sunday.
Penn State is 11-2 this season when leading after two innings. Junior infielder, Shelby Miller, also believes in the importance of striking first.
"It just shows that we're there to play and it makes a statement."
Yet, it wasn't just the offense that clicked over the weekend. The ladies in the circle also put up a tremendous collective effort and served as the backbone for the sweep. The pitching staff worked through a few jams but surrendered little damage, getting the job done in pressure situations.
"Our faith in the pitching staff keeps going up and up," said head coach Amanda Lehotak.
"We've gone to much more, if you've noticed in the past five games, different looks [in the circle] unless somebody's rocking it, so the fact that they kind of buy into that, they're picking each other up and that's what we've been looking for all year," she added.
Miller, a team leader herself, agrees with coach's assessment of the hurlers.
"I have a lot of confidence in our pitchers; they're always working through adversity, and that's what we do to them in practice as well during the drills," she said. "I know if there's a bases loaded scenario that no one's going to score."
As has been the case all season, Lehotak will send many pitchers in during a single game to switch up the looks for the other team. Depending on the situation, Penn State has so many talented arms that there could be a new pitcher every inning.
"Friday you can see five out of the six, you can see all six, or you can see one. Kind of the same thing all weekend; it will be what I see and we will react to it," said Lehotak.
Sitting at 14-14 overall, the Nittany Lions may be getting over the hump and are becoming more acclimated to each other as a team. If this past weekend was any indication, things are looking up for the softball team this season.
"It was the first time they were like, 'Oh, this is what we're supposed to do.' I think the juniors and seniors really stepped up this weekend against Rutgers. They took it to a different level of leadership. I think if they keep that standard, everyone else will follow and that's how we'll maintain [success]," said Lehotak.
It is certainly the right time of year for both the offense and pitching to be clicking, as it is mostly conference games from here on out. This weekend, Michigan State comes to town, with the first game set for Friday at 6:00 p.m.