ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Penn State softball team (23-27, 6-12 Big Ten) had No. 22 Michigan (35-11, 17-1 Big Ten) on its toes Friday evening at Alumni Field, tying the game in the top of the seventh before falling on a walk-off home run, 6-5.
All five of Penn State's runs came off home runs courtesy of sophomore Dani Fey, senior Toni Polk and freshman Chelsea Bisi.
It was Bisi's two-run shot in the top of the seventh with two outs and a 2-2 count that tied the contest after the Wolverines re-gained the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
The first two innings were scoreless for both teams with each recording a single hit, Penn State's from freshman Lilia Crouthamel, her first in conference play.
Michigan got on the board in the bottom of the third with two hits while taking advantage of two Penn State errors for the two-run lead after three.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Nittany Lions took the lead after Fey homered in the lead-off spot, freshman Melina Livingston singled and then Polk homered for the 3-2 Penn State lead.
Michigan would go on to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame before going back up in the sixth.
Penn State continued to show its resilient attitude, however, tying the game in the seventh with two outs.
Livingston singled for her second hit of the game to start the inning and advanced to third after a groundout and a wild pitch before classmate Bisi stepped up to the plate and blasted a home run down the right field line and over the fence for the second tie of the game.
Michigan then hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the frame to take the series opener.
The series continues with game two at the Wilpon Complex and Alumni Field on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Penn State now has 13 multi-home run games, five of which saw multiple home runs in the same inning, including this game. Penn State totals 48 home runs on the season.
- Toni Polk and Chelsea Bisi continue to pace the Nittany Lions with 13 home runs each, tying for third in the program's single season record book for that category.
- Freshman Lilia Crouthamal recorded her first career multi-hit game.