FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (1-4) fell to the Kent State Golden Flashes (3-2), 9-2, Sunday morning at the FGCU Softball Complex in the final day of the FGCU Kickoff Classic.
Senior Tori Dubois went 1-for-3 at the plate with a RBI double in the first inning to put the Nittany Lions up early in the game.
In Penn State's first at-bat, junior Amanda Grieco singled to right field. The next play of a fielder's choice put Toni Polk on first while Grieco was out a second. Polk advanced to second on a passed ball before driving home on Dubois' double to left center to put Penn State up 1-0 with one out.
Two batters later, Haley Vallejos' short groundball to the shortstop is overthrown at first base and Dubois reached home on the throwing error for the 2-0 Nittany Lion lead at the end of the first.
The Golden Flashes had hits in both the second and third innings but the Nittany Lion defense was able to take care of business and keep the 2-0 lead through three.
Kent State then score seven unanswered runs in the top of the fourth inning for the 7-2 advantage.
They added two more runs in the top of the fifth for the eventual 9-2 winning score.
Senior pitcher Madison Shaffer entered the circle for the final three innings and struck out six Golden Flash batters in that time.
Penn State continues its road stretch next weekend in the ACC/Big Ten Tournament in Durham, N.C., Feb. 15-17. The Nittany Lions will face ACC foes Syracuse and host Duke twice.