CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (12-12) swept Saturday's competition at the USF Tournament Series to get back to .500 on the season. The Nittany Lions beat Central Michigan for the second time this season, 3-1, before shutting out Saint Joseph's, 6-0, at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.
Penn State has now won five straight games, the longest winning streak for the program since 2016 when they won six straight in the middle of April.
The Nittany Lions also have three combined shutouts on the year, all via the freshmen duo of Kylee Lingenfelter and Bailey Parshall.
The Penn State pitching staff only allowed one run on five hits in the two games.
Game 1: Penn State 3, Central Michigan 1
Penn State defeated Central Michigan (8-13) for the second time this season, 3-1, in the first game of the day. Junior transfer Hannah Shields picked up her first win as a Nittany Lion in the circle, throwing a complete game with two strikeouts and only allowing two hits.
Much like the first match-up of the season with the Chippewas a week ago, the game remained scoreless for the first three innings of the morning.
Penn State threatened early with three hits in the bottom of the first but eventually stranded all three runners.
In the bottom of the fourth, Meghan Williams was hit by a pitch to lead things off for the Nittany Lions. Haley Vallejos then reached base with a fielder's choice before advancing to second after Amanda Grieco played a single perfectly down the left field line.
Melina Livingston was walked to load the bases with two outs to bring Toni Polk to the plate. The senior delivered a single up the middle to score Vallejos. Grieco was called out at home after rounding third but Penn State would take the 1-0 lead after four.
After the defense took down the Chippewas' offense in order, the Nittany Lions went back to the plate and Claire Swedberg led off with a single to center field. Destiny Weber, who was subbed in to the game, then hit a two-run shot to left field for her first home run of the season and the three-run Penn State advantage.
Central Michigan threatened with a home run in the top of the seventh to cut the Nittany Lions' lead to two but the next two batters went down in order to give Penn State the 3-1 victory.
Swedberg went 3-for-3 at the plate in the contest while the team totaled nine hits to Central Michigan's two. The two hits by the Chippewas is the least amount of hits the Penn State has given up this season in a single game.
Game 2: Penn State 6, Saint Joseph's 0
Penn State continued its winning ways against Saint Joseph's (6-5), shutting out the Hawks, 6-0, in game two of the day.
Parshall took the victory in the circle for the Nittany Lions, combining for the shutout with starter Lingenfelter, their third combined shutout this season. The duo only allowed three hits, none of which were extra-base hits.
Freshman Chelsea Bisi totaled three RBI in the game, including a two-run home run.
The first two innings were quiet for both teams, each recording a hit.
In the top of the third, Polk lead-off with a single to center field before Claire Swedberg safely reached first after the Hawks' first baseman was caught with her foot off the bag on the throw.
Weber, playing as a sub again in the contest, then put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with just one out.
After Ally Kurland was caught looking for strike three, classmate Anna Deshaies came in to pinch hit for M. Williams and delivered a base hit to score Polk and put Penn State on the board.
Bisi hit her third career home run and the second on the weekend in the top of the fifth, a two-run shot to left field for the 3-0 Nittany Lion lead.
The Nittany Lions would tack on three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh, all with two outs, for the eventual 6-0 winning score.
It started with Swedberg making it to second after a bunt and a throwing error by Saint Joseph's before Bisi singled to left field and Swedberg used her speed to score on the play.
Kurland and M. Williams then posted back-to-back hits to score two more runs and secure the victory for Penn State.
On Deck
Penn State will play one final game in the USF Tournament Series against Toledo on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.
