MIAMI, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (3-1) had a tough end to game one of the day, falling to Syracuse, 5-4, in extra innings but shifted its energy in game two for a 11-0 run-rule victory over Michigan State in nonconference play Saturday afternoon at Felsberg Field.
Sophomore Ally Kurland totaled four hits and three RBI in the doubleheader to create a three-game hitting streak.
Game 1: Penn State 4, Syracuse 5 (8 innings)
Penn State started out strong and created a 4-0 lead after three and a half innings of play but could not fend off a Syracuse comeback as the Orange scored five unanswered to win 5-4 in eight innings.
After three-up, three-down innings for both teams in the opening frame, the Nittany Lion offense broke through in the top of the second to take a three-run advantage.
In the circle through two innings sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall had five strikeouts. She finished with a season-high seven.
Redshirt junior Kennedy Legg drew a lead-off walk before freshman Michelle Leone singled down the right field line to put two runners on with no outs. Senior Destiny Weber then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance her teammates into scoring position. Junior Dani Fey then tripled to left field to score both runs before Kurland singled to score Fey for the 3-0 lead.
The Nittany Lions added another run in the top of the third after freshman Kaitlyn Morrison hit a stand-up double and sophomore Chelsea Bisi reached on an error to score Morrison.
Syracuse answered in the bottom half of the third frame with a solo home run to left field to cut Penn State's lead to 4-1.
From there, the Penn State offense hit a bit of a stalemate while the Orange ramped up their comeback bid.
In the bottom of the fifth, Syracuse hit a single then a triple to cut Penn State's lead in half.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Orange loaded the bases with a double, a single and a walk before drawing another two-straight walks to score two runs to tie the game.
The seven regularly scheduled innings ended in a 4-4 tie and the game would continue into extra innings with the international tiebreaker rule where a runner starts on second base.
Penn State could not capitalize with getting Amanda Grieco to third base and left the half inning without crossing the plate. Syracuse won after its runner stole third and advanced home on an error.
Game 2: Penn State 11, Michigan State 0 (5 innings)
Penn State flipped the switch in game two of the day to shut out Michigan State, 11-0, in five innings in a nonconference Big Ten matchup.
Legg and Kurland both went 2-for-3 at the plate, batting in three runs and two runs, respectively.
Like in game one, both teams had quiet first innings as Morrison registered a single but was stranded.
In the top of the second, Fey bunted and stole second to get on base for Kurland who sent her home with a RBI-single to right field to make it 1-0 Penn State.
The Nittany Lions then put together a six-run third inning to further their lead. It started with Leanne Matthews getting hit by a pitch in the lead-off position. Morrison then bunted to get to first and advanced to second while Matthews went to third on a throwing error.
Legg then doubled to the left center gap to score both runners. Leone and classmate Kathryn Rex were able to reach on back-to-back Michigan State errors to load the bases with just one out. Fey then drew a walk to bring in another run before Kurland recorded her second RBI-single of the day to score Leone.
Rex scored on a passed ball on sophomore Melina Livingston's at-bat before Livingston poked on through up the middle to score Fey and make it 7-0 Nittany Lions.
In the top of the fourth, sophomore Claire Swedberg started off the frame with a lead-off single and a stolen base to bring up Legg who registered her third RBI of the day with a single to right field.
Leone and Rex then both reached on errors in their second consecutive at-bats to score two more runs, giving Penn State a 10-run advantage after four.
Freshman Maggie Finnegan got the opportunity to pinch hit in the top of the fifth and took advantage of her moment with a RBI single down that dropped right inside the chalk in left field to score the Nittany Lions' 11th run of the game.
The Penn State defense got the Spartans in order in the final three innings to shut their offense down completely.
Junior transfer Logan Black made her first appearance in the circle as a Nittany Lion to earn the one-hit shutout victory.
On Deck
Penn State concludes play in the Felsberg Invitational Sunday morning against Cal at 10 a.m.