| PENN STATE at MICHIGAN STATE | | | | 14-19 (2-4, B1G) | 19-11 (3-3, B1G) |
| Friday, April 7-Sunday, April 9 | Seccia Stadium East Lansing, Michigan | |
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April 6, 2017
PENN STATE GOES BACK ON THE ROAD TO MICHIGAN STATE
After playing just three game inside the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, the Penn State softball team will go back on the road this weekend, this time to Michigan State. The Nittany Lions and the Spartans will meet up on the field Friday, April 7 for a 4 p.m. contest that is set to air live on the Big Ten Network. Game two in the three-game series will be played Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m., while the final game is slated for Sunday, April 9 at 1 p.m.
CATCHING THE GAME FROM HOME
Fans who cannot make the trip to East Lansing, Michigan can catch all the action Friday, April 7 live on the Big Ten Network. Saturday and Sunday's contests against the Spartans will be aired on BTN Plus with a paid subscription.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS
Penn State holds the 33-24 all-time advantage over Michigan State after sweeping the series in Happy Valley in the 2016 campaign. The Nittany Lions also hold a slight advantage when playing the Spartans at Seccia Stadium, 17-15, after taking two games in the 2015 series in East Lansing, Michigan. Finally, head coach Amanda Lehotak is 8-1 all-time against MSU.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans remain at Seccia Stadium for the second-straight weekend after sweeping Maryland in its first home Big Ten Conference series of the season. Michigan State carries a 19-11 overall record and a 3-3 record in conference after after being swept by Purdue in the opening weekend of B1G play.
As a team, the Spartans are hitting at a .316 clip with Lea Foerster ranking fourth in the Big Ten Conference with a .441 batting average that includes 41 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 28 RBIs. In her sophomore season, Ebonee Echols has also been a force at the plate, bringing in a team-high 34 RBIs on 31 hits, including eight triples.
Bridgette Rainey has seen the most time in the circle this season for the Spartans, throwing 74.2 innings in 20 appearances and 14 starts. Rainey has a 4.22 ERA, allowing 45 earned runs to cross home and has struck out 88 batters. Kristina Zalewski has had the most success keeping runners from scoring for MSU with a 3.03 ERA in 39.1 innings of work and Jordan Watson carries a 3.93 ERA in 51.2 innings in the circle.
ARRIZURIETA MAKES THE MOST OUT OF OPPORTUNITY
Junior right fielder Gianna Arrizurieta got the nod for the start in game two against Indiana in the three-game series this past weekend. Arrizurieta appeared in two games with two hits, one RBI and scored once for a .400 batting average on the weekend. The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native made the most of her opportunity, making two huge catches in right field in the Nittany Lions narrow 3-2 victory against the Hoosiers. In game three, the junior outfielder went 2-for-3 at the plate, including two doubles, while scoring the game-winning run after reaching on a fielder's choice and stealing a base. Arrizurieta also made one putout on a diving catch in right center field to save a run in the fourth inning against Indiana.
WEBER EARNS STARTS AGAINST INDIANA
After starting four games as the designated player and coming into pinch hit on six other occasions, freshman Destiny Weber made the first starts of her collegiate career in the field against Indiana. The freshman started three games behind the plate against the Hoosiers, catching one runner stealing. Weber also dropped a clutch hit on the left field line in the bottom of the seventh inning in game three to move Gianna Arrizurieta into scoring position with one out before a single into right scored the walk-off run for the Blue and White. Weber has two hits, one RBI and has scored once in her 13 appearances this season.
LAUBACH HAS SOLID OUTINGS AGAINST HOOSIERS
Senior Marlaina Laubach made three appearance this past week for Penn State, earning one save and one victory. The senior hurler came in with runners on second and third against with Penn State leading 3-2 and no outs against Indiana. Laubach secured all three outs the Nittany Lions needed to take the victory and earn her first save of the season. The Northampton, Pa. native came back in the series finale against the Hoosiers to throw all seven innings and allow just five hits while striking out three for her sixth win of the 2017 season.
BOTTOM OF THE ORDER PROPELS PENN STATE TO WIN
The Nittany Lions saw just six hits in the series finale against Indiana, five of which came from the bottom half of the lineup. Junior Gianna Arrizurieta secured the first two hits of the game and an RBI for the Blue and White hitting in the seven spot, while Toni Polk lined one hit and scored once. Finally, Destiny Weber and Sam Shanahan had one hit apiece for the Nittany Lions, hitting in the eight and nine spots, respectively.
SHANAHAN DRIVES IN GAME-WINNER AGAINST INDIANA
A walk-off hit into right field from senior Samantha Shanahan 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 has earned the series victory over Indiana and its first home series win over the Hoosiers since the 2012 campaign.
TRAVELING NITTANY LIONS
Penn State softball will hit the road for 39 of its 56 games, traveling a whopping 13,199 miles in the 2017 season. The Nittany Lions first travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. for the LSU Tournament before heading to Atlanta, Georgia for its first appearance in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Blue and White close out the month of February in Conway, South Carolina for the Chanticleer Showdown and open the month of March at the Colorado State Classic. Penn State continues its five weeks of travel in Washington with a doubleheader against Seattle and two games in the Husky Classic. Penn State returns from spring break and travels to Washington D.C. for four games at the GW Capital Classic, March 18-19. Following a mid-week home-opener, the Nittany Lions go back on the road to Michigan and Pittsburgh and also make trips out to Michigan State, Nebraska and Maryland in the 2017 campaign.
ON DECK
Penn State returns to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field Wednesday, April 12 for a mid-week Big Ten Conference doubleheader against Ohio State. Game one is slated for 5 p.m. with game two to start approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one.
