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March 4, 2017
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Penn State softball team battled back in its second game of the day but fell one run short of taking home the victory as it was defeated 6-5 by Colorado State and fell 12-6 in its first game of the day to Idaho State Saturday, March 4.
After gathering just five hits against Idaho State, the Nittany Lions (7-10) responded with a season-best 12 hits against Colorado State with three players tallying a multi-hit game.
Senior Kristina Brackpool (Valencia, Calif.) moves into a tie for No. 9 all-time in Penn State softball laurels after she ripped her 17th career home run over the left field fence against Idaho State. The senior first baseman ended the day with three hits, two RBI and scored three times, while sophomore Toni Polk (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) notched three hits against Colorado State and brought in one run.
Finally, freshman Delaney Elling (Washington, Pa.) launched her first career grand slam against Idaho State to knot the game in the third inning, while Sam Shanahan (Seattle, Wash.) went 3-for-4 at the plate against Idaho State.
Five Penn State pitchers saw action today, including freshman Madey Smith (Washington, N.J.), who tossed one inning with two strikeouts in her first career appearance. Sophomore Madison Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) suffered the loss in game one after coming on in relief of sophomore Madison Seifert (Wildwood, Mo.) in the second inning, while junior Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) would take the loss in game two after throwing 2.1 innings. Senior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) came on in relief in both games of the day for the Blue and White, throwing 6.1 total innings, including three shutout innings against Colorado State.
Game One: Idaho State 12, Penn State 6
A leadoff single to short proved to be detrimental to Penn State when Ashlyn Ames doubled to left center field with two outs and scored the runner from first base to give the Bengals a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Bengals extended their lead to 5-0 in the top of the third inning using five hits to score four runs on the Nittany Lions.
Shanahan led off the bottom of the third inning with a triple and touched home on a Brackpool single through the left side. The Nittany Lions continued to work in the bottom half of the inning as they loaded the bases for Elling. After seeing the first pitch, the freshman launched her first career grand slam over the center field wall to tie the score at 5-5.
The Bengals responded in the top of the fourth inning, using four hits to score three runs and force the second Penn State pitching change of the game. Idaho State continued to build on its lead in the top of the fifth inning as it scored three runs to take the 11-5 advantage.
Brackpool drove a leadoff home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth inning to try and spark some offense for the Blue and White but it would prove to be the final run of the game as Penn State fell 12-6 to Idaho State.
Game Two: Colorado State 6, Penn State 5
The Nittany Lions bats broke open in the second game of the day, out hitting Colorado State 12-5. However, Penn State was unable to string hits together, falling 6-5 after a rally in the seventh inning.
With two outs and a runner on third, Nelson hit a home run over the left field fence to put the Rams up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning before extending their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second on their second home run of the day.
Penn State came within two in the top of the third when Brackpool singled to shallow center field and touched home on a Miller double in the right center field gap.
Laubach came on in relief and shut down Colorado State for three-straight innings, allowing the offense to tack on its second run in the top of the fifth inning when Rebecca Ziegler (Tucson, Ariz.) singled through the left side to plate Dubois from second base.
Colorado State used back-to-back hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 6-2 heading into the final inning of action.
Penn State worked on a comeback in its final at-bats as it loaded the bases with no outs for Tori Dubois (Mt. Vernon, N.H.). Dubois stepped in and laced a single that plated two runs to bring the Nittany Lions within two of the Rams with no outs on the board. The Blue and White continued to battle with two outs as Polk singled deep in the hole at second base, bringing in the fifth run of the game and allowing Penn State to come within one of Colorado State, 6-5. However, the rally would fall short as the Nittany Lions fell 6-5 to the Rams.
Up Next:
Penn State closes out the Colorado State Classic Sunday, March 5 against Buffalo. The Nittany Lions and the Bulls will face off on the field at 11 a.m. ET.