UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball team had the hot bats in game two of the doubleheader to split the series with Rutgers Friday evening at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The Scarlet Knights took game one, 3-2, but the Nittany Lions made the necessary adjustments for a 10-3 win in game two.
"I'm really happy about our team's performance in game two," said head coach Clarisa Crowell. "They just came out swinging the bats and I'm just proud of their continued fight and resiliency. Overall we hit the ball really well – I've got to give a shoutout to Lilia Crouthamel, that was her first career home run that she hit and it's always an exciting moment when that happens. So again, really happy with our team's performance in game two and loved the adjustments that the offense was able to make."
Game 1: Rutgers 3, Penn State 2
Penn State (2-19, 2-19 Big Ten) fell in game one of the doubleheader, 3-2, but not without effort, nearly fronting a comeback in the final two innings.
The first four innings were completely scoreless as Rutgers (6-16, 6-16 Big Ten) only had one baserunner and Penn State had two.
The Scarlet Knights then cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the fifth after drawing back-to-back walks to open the frame to capitalize having baserunners. A groundout would advance the runners before a double to right field scored both to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Just as the Nittany Lions always do, they fought back and cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the frame. Junior Lilia Crouthamel singled as the lead-off batter and then stole second before heading all the way home on a triple from classmate Ally Kurland that went to the right-center wall.
Rutgers went back up two in the sixth with a solo home run.
Penn State attempted the rally in the bottom of the seventh after sophomore transfer Lexie Black reached on an error to start off the frame. Two-straight fielders' choices kept a runner on first for the Nittany Lions with two outs. Kurland then singled through the right side to get senior Dani Fey to scoring position at third base.
Junior Melina Livingston then singled up the middle to score Fey and get Penn State within one, however Rutgers recorded the last out to take the win.
Junior pitcher Bailey Parshall pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts.
Game 2: Penn State 10, Rutgers 3
Penn State made all the necessary adjustments in game two to win convincingly, 10-3, with 11 hits and no errors defensively.
After Rutgers took an early lead with two runs scored on three hits in the top of the first, Penn State cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame on two hits and an error. Freshman Melody Coombs singled through the left side and then stole second while sophomore Maggie Finnegan reached on an error. Classmate Kaitlyn Morrison then batted Coombs home with a RBI-single up the middle to make it 2-1 Rutgers after one full inning.
The Nittany Lions really went off in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs on five hits to take the lead for the first time on the day.
Crouthamel homered to left field to start the offensive momentum. Back-to-back singles by Kurland and Livingston and then a drawn walk by Coombs loaded the bases for Penn State. Finnegan then singled up the middle to score one run and keep the bases loaded before Morrison drew a walk to score another.
Still with just one out, Legg then hit a powerful single to right field that scored two runs. Sophomore Michelle Leone concluded the RBI streak for Penn State with a sacrifice fly to score Morrison for the sixth run.
Rutgers got a run back in the third on two hits to make it 7-3.
In the top of the fifth, sophomore pitcher Vanessa Oatley entered the circle for junior Kylee Lingenfelter and she and the defense got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the four-run advance midway through.
Penn State's next time at offense in the bottom of the frame saw two more runs scored on two hits as Leone and Kurland drew walks while Crouthamel and Livingston had singles, in which Livingston's scored Crouthamel and sophomore Kailee Smith who was in running for Leone.
The Nittany Lions put the icing on the cake in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run from Legg, her first of the season, for the eventual 10-3 winning score.
Lingenfelter earned the win in the circle, her first of the season, as she tied her season high with four strikeouts.
ON DECK
Penn State and Rutgers will conclude the four-game series in another doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The games will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State's 10 runs in the second game are the most runs scored this season, and the most since putting 11 on Michigan State in a nonconference game last season in Florida (2/8/20).
- Juniors Melina Livingston and Lilia Crouthamel both registered their second multi-hit games of the season in game two while redshirt senior Kennedy Legg had her first. Junior Ally Kurland also had her second multi-hit game of the season in game one.
- Crouthamel hit her first career home run in the second inning of game two.
- Legg tied her single-game career high with three RBI. The last time she had three RBI was against Michigan State last season (2/8/20).
- The Nittany Lion defense had zero errors in both games for the first time this season.