April 2, 2017
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April 2, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A walk-off hit into right field from senior Samantha Shanahan (Seattle, Wash.) solidified the 2-1 Big Ten Conference series victory over Indiana for the Penn State softball team Sunday, April 2.
The win marks the second-straight season Penn State (14-19, 2-4 B1G) has earned the series victory over Indiana (17-18, 3-3 B2G) and its first home series win over the Hoosiers since the 2012 campaign.
Junior Gianna Arrizurieta (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) led Penn State, going 2-for-3 at the plate, making a diving catch in right field and scoring the game-winning run after stealing second and coming around to score on a shallow hit into right field. "Gianna is one of those special athletes in the fact that her work ethic defines who she is," stated head coach Amanda Lehotak.
Sophomore Toni Polk (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) also had a day at the plate for the Blue and White, notching one hit and scoring one run. While senior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) earned her 12th start in the circle, throwing all seven innings and striking out three en route to her sixth victory of the 2017 season.
As a team, Penn State had six hits on the day, five of which came from the bottom half of the lineup and secured three extra-base knocks. Arrizurieta had two doubles for the Nittany Lions, while Shelby Miller (Sugar Land, Texas) also laced a double on the day. "My favorite part about today is how the bottom of our lineup allowed us to win, noted Lehotak. "It shows anyone can step up at any time and I'm really proud of them."
Indiana's Taylor Uden went 1-for-2 at the plate and drove in the lone run for the Hoosiers on her home run over the left field wall, while Tara Trainer suffered the loss in the circle tossing 6.1 innings.
Polk drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the second inning to get on base for Arrizurieta, who ripped a double over the center fielder's head to give Penn State the 1-0 lead over the Hoosiers.
Indiana answered two innings later when Uden knocked a home run over the left field fence to knot the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning.
Arrizurieta looked to get something started in the bottom half of the inning with her second double of the game but was unable to touch home, while a leadoff double from Miller was left stranded in the bottom of the six inning after the Hoosiers retired the next three batters in order.
Indiana used a leadoff single and a double into left field to put runners into scoring position with two out in the top of the seventh before Laubach forced Katie Lacefield to foul out on the third base line and keep the game tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom half of the seventh inning.
Arrizurieta reached first on a fielder's choice before catching IU off guard and swiping second to put herself in scoring position with one out. A single into shallow left from freshman Destiny Weber (Grafton, Ohio) and smart base running from Arrizurieta put runners in scoring position for Shanahan. After taking the first pitch, Shanahan laced a shallow single into right field allowing the run to touch home and giving Penn State the 2-1 walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh.
Next Up:
The Nittany Lions head to East Lansing, Michigan for a three-game Big Ten Conference series April 7-9 against Michigan State. Penn State will take on the Spartans Friday, April 7 at 4 p.m. Fans who cannot make it out to the game can catch it live on the Big Ten Network, while game two against MSU is slated for Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m. The series will conclude Sunday, April 9 at 1 p.m.