| PENN STATE at No. 22 OHIO STATE | | | | 6-26 (2-7, B1G) | 24-8 (5-4, B1G) |
| Wednesday, April 11 | Buckeye Field Columbus, Ohio | |
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April 10, 2018
PENN STATE TRAVELS FOR MIDWEEK B1G DOUBLEHEADER
The Penn State softball team makes the trip to Columbus, Ohio for a midweek doubleheader against Ohio State Wednesday, April 11. The Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes will square off for game one at 5 p.m. and start game two approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one. Both games are set to be aired by the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Elise Menaker on the call.
CATCHING THE GAMES FROM HOME
Fans who cannot make the trip to Columbus, Ohio can catch all the action live by following along with live Twitter updates @PennStateSB while also following live stats at OhioStateBuckeyes.com and watching live on the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Elise Menaker on the call.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State holds 54-32 all-time series advantage over Penn State as the two teams split the doubleheader in the 2017 campaign at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. Head coach Amanda Lehotak is 3-5 against the Buckeyes, having led her team to a sweep in the 2015 campaign and splitting the series in Happy Valley in 2017.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes come into the midweek match as the No. 22 team in the nation following its weekend sweep over Rutgers. Ohio State boasts a 24-8 overall record and is 5-4 in Big Ten Conference play having been swept by Indiana and falling once to Wisconsin. The midweek series with the Nittany Lions will mark just the fourth and fifth games of the season for the Buckeyes at home as they have played 15 away games and 14 neutral site games this season. OSU is led by Lilli Piper, who is hitting an impressive .431 on the season to lead the entire Big Ten Conference. Piper has 47 hits which includes 12 double, one triples, 14 home runs and 40 RBI. The Buckeyes also have Shelby McCombs, who is hitting .341 with 21 RBI and Emily Clark, who carries a .260 batting average with 26 RBI on the season. In the circle, junior Morgan Ray has had a standout year with a team-low 1.90 ERA in 110.1 innings of work and has thrown 10 complete games with 109 strikeouts in 23 appearances and 16 starts. Also seeing time in the circle is McCombs, who has a 2.69 ERA in 88.1 innings.
MAKING PROGRESS AGAINST THE WOLVERINES
Despite dropping all the three games to Michigan, head coach Amanda Lehotak has seen progress in her team against the No. 17 Wolverines. The Nittany Lions played six innings in game one with sophomore Amanda Grieco stepping in as a pinch hitter and ripping her first career extra-base hit to drive in two runs. In Saturday's contest, junior hurler Madison Shaffer went all seven innings, giving up just three runs on five hits. In the series finale, junior Tori Dubois launched her team-best fifth home run of the season.
SHAFFER THROWS GEM AGAINST No. 17 MICHIGAN
Junior pitcher Madison Shaffer had the Wolverine hitters on their toes throughout all seven innings in game two of the series. Shaffer threw a complete game, having given up just two hits threw six innings of work before Michigan scored three runs on three hits in the top of the seventh inning to earn the win. The New Castle, Pennsylvania native struck out four Wolverine hitters in her seven innings of work.
GRIECO STEPS UP
Sophomore walk-on Amanda Grieco was given the opportunity to pinch hit with runners in scoring position against Michigan Friday, April 6. The Basking Ridge, New Jersey native dug in and roped a double into the left center field gap, bringing in both of Penn State runs against the Wolverines. The extra-base hit marked the first of her career donning the Blue and White. Grieco earned the start in the final two games of the series at second base, notching eight putouts and four assists.
FEY POISED FOR BREAKOUT FRESHMAN SEASON
Freshman Dani Fey has been standout at the plate for the Nittany Lions since moving into the leadoff spot in the batting order in the third week of the season. Fey hit .385 in Jacksonville, Florida and carried a .556 on-base percentage, drawing four walks, while also holding a .385 slugging percentage. The freshman outfielder tallied five hits while scoring a team-high five times for the Blue and White in its five games at the JU Tournament. Since then, Fey has maintained the leadoff spot for the Nittany Lions, hitting .350 when she is the first batter of the inning. The Bangor, Pennsylvania native ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference in walks with 23 base on balls.
ON DECK
Penn State returns to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field for a three-game series with the Spartans of Michigan State Friday, April 13-Sunday, April 15.
