FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (1-1) split the first two games of the FGCU Kickoff Classic, defeating Ball State, 10-2, in six innings in game one while dropping game two to host FGCU, 2-1.
"I'm proud of the way we competed today," said head coach Amanda Lehotak. "We played hard in both games and fought to the end."
Game 1: Penn State 10, Ball State 2 (6 innings)
In the first game, the Nittany Lions had 12 hits on 29 at-bats, led by senior Tori Dubois who went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI.
Dubois started the game in the lead-off position, doubling down the right field line. Freshman Chelsea Bisi was hit by a pitch in her collegiate batting debut, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Haley Vallejos singled to the pitcher to drive Dubois home for the early 1-0 lead after the first half inning.
Senior Toni Polk and junior Amanda Grieco both singled in the top of the second and with Dubois and Melina Livingston on base, one run was able to score to increase the lead to 2-0 heading in to the bottom of the second.
Ball State's Olivia Huffman hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to tie the game, 2-2.
Freshman Kylee Lingenfelter made her collegiate debut in the circle and struck out two batters before handing it off to fellow classmate Bailey Parshall in the second inning.
Two Ball State errors in the top of the fourth allowed for two Penn State runs to score. Parshall kept the lead at 4-2 heading in to the fifth inning after striking out all three batters faced in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman Anna Deshaies made her collegiate debut in the top of the fifth, singling to right field. Two batters later, Dubois recorded her third hit of the game with a RBI to center field with an additional runner scoring for the 6-2 lead. Grieco also advanced Dubois home with a sacrifice bunt and an error by the Ball State catcher.
Ball State went three up, three down in the bottom of the fifth and the Nittany Lions led 7-2 with two innings left to play.
Hits by Delaney Elling, Deshaies, Dubois and Grieco in the top of the sixth and good defense in the bottom of the inning sealed the game for the Nittany Lions' first win of 2019.
Parshall earned her first career win and recorded seven strikeouts.
Game 2: Penn State 1, FGCU 2
Grieco started the Nittany Lions off in game two with a single up right center in the top of the first. After stealing second, Bisi singled to right field for her first collegiate RBI and the early 1-0 Penn State lead.
FGCU would counter back in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at one.
Livingston, Dubois and Kurland all singled in the top of the third but were unable to score any runners.
The third and fourth innings remained at 1-1 before FGCU scored a run in the bottom of the fifth inning after a triple and RBI single.
Kurland tried to rally with a hit in the top of the sixth to finish 2-for-3 in the game at the plate but the Nittany Lions were unable to capitalize.