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March 17, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State softball team notched its first home victory of the 2018 season as it took a 6-5 win over Kent State in game two of a doubleheader Saturday, March 17 at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
First of all, I just want to say it's great to back home at Beard Field," said head coach Amanda Lehotak. "You have no idea what it's like to be gone for so many games and come back home; so we thank all the fans. I thought the kids played hard and I hope everybody gets to see what we've been talking about away from home that we play hard, we fight, we don't give up. Sometimes you just can't get the big hit like game one, we got the big hit game two and I love our attitude, we don't quit.
The Nittany Lions fell in game one after battling back from a 5-0 deficit in the top of the fourth inning. Penn State had five players have multi-hit days as Tori Dubois (Mt. Vernon, N.H.) tallied three hits with two runs batted in and scored three times for the Blue and White to lead all Nittany Lion batters. Junior Paige Johnson (Clarksville, Tenn.) and sophomore Delaney Elling (Washington, Pa.) both hit their first home runs at Beard Field with Johnson going yard in game one and Elling hitting the two-run homer in game two to knot the score.
Johnson finished the day with two hits, three RBI and two runs, while Elling had two hits, two RBI and scored once. Also having big days at the dish for the Nittany Lions was freshman Dani Fey (Bangor, Pa.), who tallied two hits, drove in one run and scored once and Christa Wagner (Plainville, Mass), who had two hits, one RBI and touched home once.
In the circle, senior Jessica Cumming (Owings, Md.) took the loss in game one throwing all seven innings with four strikeouts. Junior Madison Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) earned the start in game two, hurling 5.2 innings before Cummings came on in relief to close out the game with two strikeouts.
Game One: Kent State 6, Penn State 5
A leadoff triple that was slapped to the center field fence touched home on a one-out suicide squeeze before Kent State tacked on four more runs in the inning on two doubles into the outfield to take the early 5-0 advantage.
With two outs on the board and runners on first and second, Johnson stepped in and launched a home run off the right center light pole that would bring Penn State within two, 5-3, in the bottom of the first inning. The Nittany Lions continued to battle in the bottom of the second as it loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout and a ground out to third closed out the inning before the Blue and White could push a run across the plate.
Kent State extended its lead to 6-3 in the top of the third inning when a deep sacrifice fly into left field brought in the runner on third for the Golden Flashes.
Penn State continued to work its way back into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when it loaded the bases for the second time with one out on the board. The second out was recorded on a fielder's choice to keep the bases loaded with two outs. Dubois looked to start a rally as she singled up the middle to plate two runs and bring Penn State within one, 6-5.
The Blue and White was unable to bring in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh falling in game one.
Game Two: Penn State 6, Kent State 5
Kent State lit up the scoreboard in the top of the fourth after three scoreless innings when two runners reached base with two outs on a triple off the center field wall. The Nittany Lions had an answer inning when Dubois was hit by a pitch and touched home on an Elling two-run home run over the left field wall.
The scoring did not stop there for the Blue and White as three two-out doubles brought in three more runs to allow Penn State to take the 5-2 lead after four complete innings at Beard Field.
The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dubois led off with a double up the middle and came around to score on a walk and a wild pitch. Kent State closed the gap in the top of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on four hits before Cummings came on in relief to strikeout the final batter of the inning with bases loaded to allow Penn State to lead 6-4.
The Golden Flashes came within one in the top of the seventh when a run crossed home on a passed ball, but Penn State recorded the final outs of the inning to secure its second victory of the season and first home win of 2018.
Up Next:
Penn State and Kent State will conclude its three-game series Sunday, March 18 with a 1 p.m. game at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.