CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (13-12) picked up its sixth-straight victory, downing Toledo, 8-2, in the final game of the USF Tournament Series Sunday morning at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.
The Nittany Lions finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record and went 10-2 during their spring break tour in the Clearwater area.
Lefty Bailey Parshall recorded the win in the circle for her fifth of the season. The freshman struck out four in four innings pitched to bring her season strikeout total to 103, passing the 100-milestone just 25 games into the season. Classmate Kylee Lingenfelter came in in relief for her first career save.
The first two innings were quiet for both teams as neither recorded a hit.
Toledo (7-12) threatened in the top of the third with a lead-off single and then another single by the fourth batter of the inning, but a great defensive play by Dani Fey in center field cut the runner off rounding third and catcher Ally Kurland and third baseman Haley Vallejos connected for the out at the bag.
Penn State answered in the bottom of the third frame, scoring two runs on two hits for the early 2-0 lead. Claire Swedberg reached on first on an error with two outs and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Classmate Chelsea Bisi continued her hot-hitting with a ground-rule double to center field to score Swedberg. With Lilia Crouthamel running for Bisi on second, Kurland was up to the plate and singled to bring in the second run.
The Rockets responded with a home run in the top of the fourth to make it a one-run game before hitting another solo home run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at two.
The Nittany Lions went unfazed, however, and added three more runs to their side of the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Melina Livingston started the half inning off with a single before Toni Polk put down a great bunt right on the third base line that stayed fair and allowed her to reach the bag before the throw.
Swedberg then had a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with just one out. Bisi was walked to load the bases and then Kurland provided her second hit of the day in a double to left center to clear the bases for the 5-2 Penn State advantage.
Lingenfelter struck out two in the top of the sixth and the Nittany Lion offense tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the frame for the eventual 8-2 winning score.
Junior transfer Jade Williams recorded a two-RBI single in the bottom of sixth for her first RBI as a Nittany Lion.
Kurland finished the game with four RBI, a single-game career high for the freshman.
Penn State will have a bye week before finally opening its home season at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field after a 25-game road stand. The Nittany Lions will host Robert Morris on Wednesday, March 20 in a home-opener doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.
Single game tickets are on sale for the entirety of the season and can be purchased online or by calling the Penn State Ticket Office at 1-800-NITTANY, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.