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April 19, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State softball team earned a two-game sweep of in-state foe Bucknell Wednesday, April 19 in a mid-week non-conference contest at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
The Nittany Lions were held to just three hits in game one before exploding for 11 hits in game two to mark the 10th time this season they have secured 10-or-more hits in a game. Penn State notched the 1-0 win in game two before coming from behind, 5-0, to take a 6-5 extra-inning victory in game two against the Bison.
PSU slowly closed the gap against the Bison starting in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs before adding three in the seventh to tie it and scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
"All of the sudden the energy was authentic," commented head coach Amanda Lehotak. "I could feel that we were going to score runs, I don't really know how to explain it and I didn't necessarily expect it, but they did a great job. It's all about the fight, we just keep fighting."
Redshirt-sophomore Rebecca Ziegler (Tucson, Ariz.) propelled the Blue and White to victory, going 3-for-4 at the plate and bringing in the game-winning run, while Delaney Elling (Washington, Pa.) went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in game two. Freshman Christa Wagner (Plainville, Mass.) came into pinch hit in the bottom of the seventh inning and stayed in through the eighth inning, tallying two hits and scoring twice.
Senior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) garnered the win in game one throwing all seven innings, while Madison Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) came on in relief in game two, tossing five innings and earning the victory in the circle.
Anna Gimmestad went 2-for-2 at the plate in game two and scored twice, while driving in one run and Meghan Kovac went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run. Reanne Geffert suffered the losses in both games, pitching the complete game in game one and coming on in relief in game two.
Game One: Penn State 1, Bucknell 0
In the first three innings of play, the Bison put runners on third base three times with two outs but the Nittany Lion defense recorded the outs they needed in order to keep the game scoreless through four innings of action.
After five innings of scoreless softball, Ziegler drew a walk and came around to touch home on a Toni Polk (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) triple off the right field line wall. The lone run proved to be all the Nittany Lions needed in the 1-0 game.
Laubach continued to be dominant in the circle for the Blue and White, throwing all seven innings and giving up just five hits in her team-leading ninth win of the season. Polk led the Nittany Lions in game one with two hits and one RBI, while Shelby Miller (Sugar Land, Texas) tallied the only other hit in the game for Penn State.
Game Two: Penn State 6, Bucknell 5 (8 innings)
The Bison quickly got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run over the left field wall and bringing in its third run of the game on an outfield error.
Bucknell used its second home run of the game, this time a solo home run with no outs, to take the 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning over the Blue and White.
Penn State tried to get some offense going in the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back singles to the left side of the field but Bucknell was able to retire the next three batters to close out the inning before a run was plated.
An error and a double into deep center field brought in the fifth run of the game for the Bison and extended their lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth inning. Penn State answered in the bottom of the sixth when Miller singled up the middle and Elling hit her third home run of the season over the left field fence to bring the Blue and White within three.
A leadoff single from Wagner and a single through the right side from Ziegler put runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. An error from the Bison with one out allowed one run to score before Penn State loaded the bases with one out on the board. Miller stepped in and was hit by a pitch to bring the Nittany Lions within one. Elling came up big for the second time in game when she laced a single through the left side of the infield to bring in the tying run and force extra innings.
The Nittany Lions held off Bucknell in the top of the eighth inning when Wagner started a rally for the second time in two innings laying down a bunt single between third and the pitcher and made her way to second on a groundout. Following a strikeout, Ziegler stepped in and ripped a single through the infield to score a Wagner from second and lead Penn State to a 6-5 extra-inning victory.
Up Next:
The Nittany Lions will be back in action Friday, April 21 for a three-game series against the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. The Blue and White will kick off the series at 6 p.m. at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.