April 28, 2018
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April 28, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following a suspended Friday night game, the Penn State softball team played the remaining 6 and a half innings of the game one of its three-game series with Illinois, falling 10-4, before going on to lose 11-4 in game two of the series Saturday, April 28 at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
Penn State set a Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field attendance record as it welcomed 1,411 fans in the Saturday doubleheader against Illinois. The attendance surpassed the previous Beard Field record of 1,410 set when Penn State and Michigan Saturday, April 7. Furthermore, the attendance marks the fourth time in the 2018 campaign that Penn State has had an attendance in the top-10 in Beard Field history.
Junior Paige Johnson (Clarksville, Tenn.) ripped two home runs in the series with a three-run homer in game one and a two-run round-tripper in game two for the Blue and White. Sophomore Christa Wagner (Plainville, Mass.) also had a day at the plate for the Nittany Lions with two hits and one RBI. Senior Gianna Arrizurieta (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) also drove in two runs for Penn State when she laced a double down the right field line in game two of the series.
Junior Madison Shaffer (New Castle, Pa.) took the loss in game one and Ashton Mensinger (Nescopeck, Pa.) earned her first career start in game two, taking the loss.
Game One: Illinois 10, Penn State 4
Penn State put two runners on base in the top of the first inning with two outs and Johnson came through with the big bat, lining a three-run home run over the center field fence to allow the Nittany Lions to take a 3-0 advantage.
The Blue and White were able to play the top of the second inning before a storm swept through the area and suspended the game with no outs in the bottom half of the inning. Penn State put two runners aboard in the bottom of the second inning as Amanda Grieco (Basking Ridge, N.J.) led off the suspended game with a single up the middle but the Nittany Lions were unable to push a run across.
The Fighting Illini scored their first run of the game in the top of the third inning when a single up the middle brought in the runner from second base to bring Illinois within two, 3-1. A single through the right side of the infield with a runner on third allowed Illinois to come within one of the Blue and White.
Shaffer entered in the top of the fifth inning and struck out three batters to maintain the Penn State 3-2 lead. Penn State loaded the bases on an Illinois error, a Penn State hit and a walk before Wagner blooped a single to the edge of the infield to score the runner on third and extend the Nittany Lion lead to 4-2 after five complete innings.
The Fighting Illini battled back in the top of the sixth inning, scoring seven runs on six hits and one Penn State error to take a 9-4 lead over the Blue and White in the top of the sixth inning. Illinois added one final insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to carry a 10-4 lead into the final half inning of play as the Nittany Lions were unable to score.
Game Two: Illinois 11, Penn State 4
Illinois took the quick 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run over the center field fence in the top of the first inning. The Fighting Illini loaded the bases in the top of the second and used a hit batter and three-straight walks to extend their lead to 5-0.
Penn State loaded the bases on two walks and a fielder's choice before Arrizurieta ripped a double down the right field line to bring the Nittany Lions within three, 5-2, in the bottom of the second inning.
The Fighting Illini juiced the bases in the top of the fifth inning before a grand slam with one out extended their lead to 9-2. Penn State answered to cut the Illinois lead to five in the bottom of the fifth inning when Johnson hit her second home run of the series to bring in two for the Blue and White.
Illinois added the final two more runs on two hits and a Penn State error to take the 11-4 lead into the final inning of action. Penn State was unable to produce any further runs, falling in game two against the Fighting Illini.
Up Next:
Penn State and Illinois will conclude the three-game series Sunday, April 29 as it celebrates its three seniors prior to a noon pitch at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. For the most up-to-date schedule information for Penn State softball, please follow along at GoPSUsports.com and on Twitter at @PennStateSB.