TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Penn State softball team (5-10) held an early lead before Wichita State rallied in the fifth to come back for the 8-5 victory Sunday morning in the Easton Bama Bash finale.
Penn State got off to a fast start, scoring five runs in the opening frame. Freshman Kaitlyn Morrison hit a lead-off single before classmate Maggie Finnegan and redshirt junior Kennedy Legg earned free bases from a hit by pitch and walk, respectively.
Senior Destiny Weber then drew a bases loaded walk to score the first run before sophomore Melina Livingston cleared the bases with a single down the right field line to make it 4-0 Penn State. Freshman Michelle Leone advanced Livingston to second on a sacrifice bunt before classmate Leanne Matthews plated her with a RBI double to give the Nittany Lions a five-run advantage in the first frame.
Wichita State threatened in its first offensive attempt with a runner in scoring position but the Penn State defense stranded her to stay ahead.
From there, the Shockers slowly chipped away at the lead by scoring one run in each of the next three innings to make it 5-3 after four.
In the top of the fifth, Legg hit a lead-off single and was replaced by sophomore Lilia Crouthamel as the runner before Weber got on with a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt to put two runners on. Junior Haley Vallejos came in as a pinch hitter and got the job done with a single to left field, but aggressive base running by the Nittany Lions caught them in a double play turned by Wichita State to keep it a two-run game.
The Shockers then took that momentum into the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs on four hits and an error for their first lead of the game that would stand through the final.
Penn State finished with eight hits in the game with a multi-hit performance from sophomore catcher Ally Kurland.
Legg was named to the Easton Bama Bash All-Tournament team, her second all-tournament team recognition this season.
On Deck
The Nittany Lions go back south to Atlanta, Ga. for the I-75 Challenge, February 28-March 1. Penn State will play a doubleheader at Georgia State on Friday, a doubleheader at Georgia Tech on Saturday, and a single game at Kennesaw State on Sunday.
