April 11, 2018
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April 11, 2018
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Penn State softball team fell twice to the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes in the mid-week Big Ten Conference doubleheader Wednesday, April 11. The Nittany Lions were defeated 9-1 in six innings in game one before falling in a tight 7-4 contest in which the team loaded the bases with one out to battle in the night cap.
Sophomore Delaney Elling (Washington, Pa.) paced the Blue and White at the dish, going 4-for-4 with three RBI in game two, while sophomore Kennedy Legg (Keller, Texas) brought in one run on a single in game one and went 2-for-2 with a run scored in game two against the Buckeyes. Junior Meghan Williams (Bethlehem, Pa.) also had a day at the dish for the Nittany Lions, notching a single and a walk in game one before securing one hit, one walk, and one RBI in game two.
Junior Madison Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) took the loss in game one and senior Jessica Cummings (Owings, Md.) pitched six innings in the loss in game two.
Game One: No. 22 Ohio State 9, Penn State 1 (6 inn.)
Penn State quickly got the first two outs of the first inning but a two-run home run over the left center field wall from Clark would score two for the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions responded in the top of the third inning when Grieco reached on a walk to lead off the inning before touching home on a shallow two-out single from Legg to bring Penn State within one, 2-1.
Ohio State brought its lead back to two in the bottom half of the inning when a triple scored on a ball four wild pitch with two outs. McCombs helped herself in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run. The Buckeyes tacked on three runs on a triple and a single to take a 7-1 advantage before Mensinger came on in relief of Shaffer with no outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth.
The Buckeyes added two final runs on a single down the left field line and a wild pitch to take the six-inning 9-1 mercy victory over the Nittany Lions.
Game Two: No. 22 Ohio State 7, Penn State 4
Penn State opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with back-to-back doubles into left field from Legg and Elling to earn the early 1-0 lead over the Buckeyes. Ohio State quickly responded with back-to-back singles of its own to start the bottom half of the inning to knot the score at 1-1.
The Buckeyes took the 2-1 advantage over Penn State in the bottom of the second inning when a hard-hit ball through the left side of the infield brought in the runner on second base. The Blue and White loaded the bases in the top of the third inning with one out. Elling again came up clutch for the Nittany Lions as she singled up the middle on an inside pitch to drive in two runs and allow Penn State to take its second lead of the game.
With two outs and a runner on second, the Buckeyes capitalized on a Nittany Lion scoring error to score one before a two-run home run brought in the two more unearned runs for Ohio State and allowed it to hold a 5-3 advantage going into the fifth inning.
Penn State loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning on three hits. The Buckeyes notched two outs but Williams battled at the plate, fouling off three pitches before drawing the bases-loaded walk to bring the Blue and White within one.
The Nittany Lion defense worked its way out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning to remain within one of the Buckeyes heading into the sixth inning of action. Ohio State brought its lead back to two runs, 6-4, in the bottom of the sixth inning with two extra-base hits. The Buckeyes added one final run to their tally in the bottom of the sixth on a close call for the final out of the inning to go into the seventh inning with a 7-4 advantage
Penn State started a rally in the top of the seventh inning using three singles to load the bases and force an Ohio State pitching change with one out on the board. Following the pitching change, the Buckeyes recorded the final two outs of the contest to earn the 7-4 victory.
Up Next:
The Nittany Lions return to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field Friday, April 13-Sunday, April 15 for a three-game series against the Spartans of Michigan State.