DURHAM, N.C. – The Penn State softball team (3-4) went undefeated on the first day of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, taking down Syracuse, 3-2, and Duke, 6-0, Friday at Duke Softball Stadium.
Game 1: Penn State 3, Syracuse 2
Freshman left-handed pitcher Bailey Parshall had ice in her veins in game one of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, striking out a career-high 13 of 25 Syracuse batters faced, tying for fourth-most in a single game in program history.
The first three innings were even for both teams, with each defense only seeing the minimum three batters each inning. Parshall retired seven of those nine Orange batters via strikeouts.
Syracuse got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth for the 1-0 lead.
Penn State went right back to business, however, with hits from Haley Vallejos and Dani Fey in the top of the fifth to finally put runners on base for the Nittany Lions. While those runners were eventually stranded, it proved to be the momentum Penn State needed as they went to work in the top of the sixth.
Freshman Melina Livingston led off with a single to left field and then beat the throw to second on Toni Polk's fielder's choice to put two runners on with no outs. Amanda Grieco's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners and then Tori Dubois was hit by a pitch to load the bases with just one out. The Orange pitching staff then gave up back-to-back walks for the 2-0 Penn State advantage.
In the top of the seventh, Polk had a crucial single up the middle with two outs. She then stole second and Grieco was walked to put runners on first and second with Dubois up to bat. Dubois' single ricocheted off the pitcher for a hit and Polk came running home for the 3-1 lead.
Syracuse would tack on one more run in the bottom of the inning before Parshall struck out the final two batters for the win.
Game 2: Penn State 6, Duke 0
The Nittany Lions carried their momentum into game two of the day, shutting out host Duke, 6-0. It marks the first time since the 2017 season that Penn State has shut out its opponent (Nebraska, 5-0, Big Ten Tournament First Round).
Similar to the first game, the first two innings started off slow for both teams with no runs and only one hit by Duke being recorded.
In the top of the third, sophomore Dani Fey led off with a single to center field. A throwing error by Duke allowed Claire Swedberg to reach base and Fey came all the way home for the early 1-0 Penn State lead.
With Swedberg all the way on third and no outs in the inning, Livingston hit a RBI-sacrifice fly to right field and Swedberg tagged up and scored for the 2-0 lead. Polk then blasted a home run to left field for the three-run advantage and Penn State's first home run of the season.
Duke recorded two base hits in the bottom half of the inning but the defense continued to go to work and not allow runners to score. Fey had an incredible running catch in deep center field in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Blue Devils off the board.
Penn State put the game away in the top of the seventh. Junior Destiny Weber came in a pinch hit for Swedberg and recorded a base hit up the middle. Classmate Christa Wagner came in a pinch ran and while she was called out for leaving first base early, Livingston was up at the plate next and hit her first collegiate home run to center field.
With the Nittany Lions leading 5-0, Polk hit a double to right center field and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Freshman Lilia Crouthamel made her first appearance at the plate next and recorded a RBI-single for her first collegiate statistic in both categories.
Kylee Lingenfelter earned her first collegiate win in the victory, striking out two in four innings played. Parshall pitched for three innings and struck out four, totaling 17 strikeouts on the day.
Penn State will face Syracuse at 3 p.m. Saturday for day two of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Durham.