TAMPA, Fla. – The Penn State softball team (11-15) fell at USF in a one-run game Wednesday evening at USF Softball Stadium.
Freshman Maggie Finnegan and sophomore Melina Livingston hit back-to-back singles with two outs in the opening frame, but USF got the third out to keep the Nittany Lions off the board.
USF had a similar first offensive attempt with two hits but both runners were stranded to keep the game scoreless after one.
After trading three up, three down innings for the next two and a half frames, the Bulls took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth off two singles and a stolen base, a lead that would eventually hold for the remainder of the game.
Penn State attempted to respond in the top of the fifth with two singles from sophomore Claire Swedberg and junior Dani Fey but neither could be plated.
In the top of the seventh, freshman Kathryn Rex came in as a pinch hitter as the first batter and reached via a USF error. Swedberg would then get what seemed to be an infield hit but was called for being out of the box to hurt the momentum the Nittany Lions had started to build.
Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall struck out 12 for her fifth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
On Deck
Penn State returns to the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational and the Eddie C. Moore Complex for four more games, starting with UT Chattanooga and Providence on Friday, March 13 at noon and 2:30 p.m., respectively.
