March 3, 2017
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March 3, 2017
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Penn State softball team opened the Colorado State Classic with a 5-2 victory over Idaho State before falling to host Colorado State 4-0 in the night cap Friday, March 3.
The Nittany Lions (7-8) tallied nine hits with senior Sam Shanahan (Seattle, Wash.) going 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and senior Kristina Brackpool (Valencia, Calif.) notching two hits and one RBI. The seniors led the way at the plate on the day as Brackpool, Shelby Miller (Sugar Land, Texas) and Shanahan had three hits apiece, while Miller brought in two runs and Brackpool and Shanahan each drove in one.
In the circle, senior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) earned the win in game one, going all seven innings, while sophomore Madison Seifert (Wildwood, Mo.) suffered the loss in game two, tossing four complete innings. Junior Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) came on in relief in the fifth inning and closed out the contest against the Rams, giving up three hits and striking out two.
Game One: Penn State 5, Idaho State 2
Ziegler got the Nittany Lions on the board just five pitches into the game when she launched her second career home run over the center field wall. Penn State extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the second inning using a Brackpool single to lead off the inning before she came around to score on a Shanahan single to the short stop.
Idaho State lit up the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning on a home run from Shayna Dahlen over the left center field wall to come within one of the Blue and White. Penn State responded in the top of the third inning with Brackpool ripped a double down the left field line that plated Tori Dubois (Mt. Vernon, N.H.) from second base.
The Bengals capitalized on two throwing errors in the bottom half of the third inning to bring them within one of the Nittany Lions, 3-2, after three complete.
After two scoreless innings, Miller placed a deep hit to short that brought in the runners on second and third and extended the Penn State lead to 5-2. The runs would be all the Nittany Lions needed as they kept the Bengals scoreless in the remaining two innings to earn a 5-2 victory.
Game Two: Colorado State 4, Penn State 0
The Rams broke open the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when they scored two runs on four hits before the defense retired the final outs of the inning and headed into the second trailing 2-0.
The Blue and White looked to get on the board in the top of the third inning, moving runners 60 feet from home but a line out to second base would close out the inning before the Nittany Lions could push a run across the plate.
After three scoreless innings, Colorado State loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning and tacked on two runs on a single through the left side to extend its lead to 4-0 with no outs. The Nittany Lions were able to get out of the inning before any further damage, trailing 4-0 going into the top of the sixth inning.
Penn State tried to get a rally going in the top of the seventh inning but were unable to string any hits together, falling 4-0 in its final game of the day.
Up Next:
Penn State will take on Idaho State at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 4 and close out the day with a rematch against Colorado State at 3:30 p.m.