UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa- Penn State split a doubleheader at Beard Field on Wednesday against Saint Francis to maintain its .500 season record and end a recent winning streak for the Red Flash.
While the Nittany Lions could not walk away with the win in both matchups, the story of the night was their dominance at the plate.
The team hit a game-high six home runs in game two, bringing its total to 33 home runs on the season so far, a new program-high that beats the 31 home runs set back in 2006.
With 19 regular season games to go and the postseason to follow, Penn State has already set their bar high.
"I'm really proud of how we fought back game one," Penn State head coach Amanda Lehotak said. "It was good to see our offense come back after the Wisconsin series."
Game one saw the Red Flash take an early 4-0 lead to top the first inning, but the Nittany Lions inched their way back and, once the bats got going, were hard to stop.
Big hits came in the third inning of game one off of two doubles by Toni Polk and Claire Swedberg. Chelsea Bisi then stepped into the box to launch the first Nittany Lion home run of the night and her eighth of the season. Bisi also leads the team with a 17-game on-base streak this season.
The game continued to be a back and forth battle, with both teams performing well offensively. Delaney Elling tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run and Dani Fey snagged her first career home run to tie the game for the third time in the bottom of the sixth.
A scoreless seventh inning brought game one into extra innings. Saint Francis was able to get ahead on a solo home run but, as they had all game, Penn State responded.
"I think after Wisconsin they were so mad they couldn't see straight," Lehotak said. "They feel like they had something to prove."
Freshman Melina Livingston singled on base in the bottom of the eighth, leaving one runner on and Polk next to the plate. Polk launched a walk-off two-run home run into center field to win it for the Nittany Lions, 8-7.
The second game of the night proved similar to the first, as it took a fight back mindset from Penn State. Saint Francis got another early lead, putting three runs on the board in the first inning.
Penn State responded in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game off of three home runs by Destiny Weber, Fey, and Livingston.
Third inning defensive mistakes would allow the Red Flash to take the lead, leaving the Nittany Lions with some work to be done offensively.
"Game two I thought we fought well however I think the theme of the night was our lack of defense," Lehotak said.
While the rhythm was not with them on the field, all the momentum certainly stayed with them in the batter's box.
The Nittany Lions held the Red Flash scoreless in the top of the fourth, answering strongly in the bottom of the inning with Livingston reaching on an error and another Bisi two-run home run to bring the score within four.
Both Livingston and Polk would record another home run later in the night, however, the Red Flash were able to hold the Nittany Lions scoreless in the bottom of the seventh inning to take game two.
While the home team didn't get the results they were looking for, with ten home runs over two games there are certainly positives to take away.
Penn State will look to keep that rhythm going as it hits the road this weekend for a Big Ten matchup at Purdue in a three-game series in West Lafayette, Indiana.
