ATLANTA, Ga. – Penn State softball senior Destiny Weber hit a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to rebound the Nittany Lions (8-11) to an extra-innings victory in game two after dropping game one of the doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Mewborn Field.
Game 1: Penn State 2, Georgia Tech 3
The first game of the day was very much a pitcher's dual with as Georgia Tech's starting pitcher Blake Neleman struck out 12 and the Nittany Lions' sophomore Bailey Parshall struck out six and only faced 21 batters. The Yellow Jackets would ultimately go on to win, 3-2, with all three hits in one inning.
The first three innings remained scoreless as Penn State only got two runners on by drawing walks and the defense took down Georgia Tech in order each frame.
The Nittany Lions then got on the board in the top of the fourth after a lead-off single by redshirt junior Kennedy Legg and a single from sophomore Melina Livingston put two runners on with one out. A ground out advanced the runners before a wild pitch scored sophomore Shelli Rivard who was pinch running for Legg to give Penn State a 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets didn't figure out Parshall until the fifth inning when they got their first runners on base with a single and a double to be in scoring position with two outs before freshman Caroline Davis hit a three-run home run to give her team a 3-1 advantage.
Penn State responded by getting a run back in the top of the sixth as back-to-back walks drawn by Livingston and junior Haley Vallejos put runners on and a throwing error scored Livingston but the Nittany Lions couldn't find the tying run to drop the game.
Game 2: Penn State 5, Georgia Tech 3 (10 innings)
Penn State rebounded with an extra-inning victory in game two thanks to Weber's fourth home run of the season, besting Georgia Tech, 5-3, in 10 innings.
The home team got on the board first in the opening inning for an early 1-0 lead after a solo home run by Emma Kauf.
Freshman Maggie Finnegan singled in both her two at-bats in the first three innings but could not be plated to keep the Nittany Lions scoreless.
The Yellow Jackets added a run in the bottom of the third on one hit to make it 2-0.
Penn State quickly answered with two runs of its own in the next frame to tie the game. Sophomore Ally Kurland singled and classmate Livingston hit a RBI-double to score Kurland and put the Nittany Lions on the board. Livingston then stole third before sophomore Claire Swedberg batted her home with a single through the left side for the tying run.
Georgia Tech once again threatened in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases with one out but the defense got out of the jam to keep the game tied.
Both teams got a run back in the sixth with solo home runs to make it 3-3, Penn State's courtesy of Livingston, her second of the season.
The final frame of regulation would go scoreless albeit both teams getting runners on to force extra innings. Georgia Tech had hits in both the eighth and ninth innings, but the Penn State defense was able to strand the runners to continue to give its offense a chance.
In the top of the 10th, Livingston singled as the lead-off batter for her third hit of the game and then advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt from Dani Fey. Weber then homered to score two runs for a 5-3 Nittany Lion advantage.
Georgia Tech went down in order in its last attempt and Parshall earned the victory in the circle after dropping the decision in game one.
Livingston finished the game with a season-best performance of 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs score. Finnegan also finished with two hits for her second multi-hit game of the weekend.
Penn State is now 1-1 in extra-inning games this season.
On Deck
Penn State concludes play in the I-75 Challenge in Atlanta with a single game at Kennesaw State Sunday at 11 a.m.
