EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Penn State softball team (6-31, 6-31 Big Ten) split its final road series of the season in a doubleheader at Michigan State (13-23, 13-23 Big Ten) Tuesday afternoon at Secchia Stadium. The Nittany Lions won game one, 4-3, before falling in game two, 4-0.
Game 1: Penn State 4, Michigan State 3
In what was an interesting and competitive game one, Penn State found a way to come out on top after good performances on all sides of the ball for the 4-3 win over Michigan State.
Junior starting pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter had a good first inning, getting the Spartans to go three up three down with two strikeouts.
The Nittany Lions then got the offense going in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Ally Kurland led off with a single to right field before classmate Lilia Crouthamel reached on an error by the third baseman to advance pinch runner Shelli Rivard to third. Sophomore Maggie Finnegan then had a base hit through the left side to score Rivard before Crouthamel scored on a passed ball. Senior Dani Fey then doubled down the left field line to score Finnegan for the three-run advantage for the visitors.
Michigan State countered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run to cut Penn State's lead to 3-2 after two. The Spartans nearly tied the game with a two-out double to the wall, but Crouthamel made the throw into home in time for Kurland to tag the runner and keep the Nittany Lions in the lead.
The next three innings would be rather uneventful as the score remained 3-2.
Penn State threatened in the top of the sixth with back-to-back-to-back hits from Kurland, Crouthamel and Finnegan to load the bases with no outs. Michigan State then turned a double play to stall the offense and keep it a one-run game.
The home team then tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run.
In the top of the seventh, redshirt senior Kennedy Legg hit a stand-up lead-off double to get on base early. Junior Claire Swedberg came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a groundout. Swedberg then was able to score on a dropped third strike to put Penn State back up by a run.
The Spartans really tried hard to get to extra innings, loading the bases twice in the bottom of the seventh. But Lingenfelter and the defense stood strong to get out of the jam both times for the win.
Lingenfelter finished the game with the victory in the circle and seven strikeouts, a career high.
Game 2: Michigan State 4, Penn State 0
The Penn State offense was stalled in game two of the doubleheader, only registering two hits and not plating any runners, while Michigan State scored four runs on nine hits for the shutout victory to split the series.
In the first inning, Legg drew a walk and Kurland singled, but both were stranded to bring the defense to the field.
The Spartans would register the same stats in the bottom half of the inning with a single and walk of their own as they also left two on base for a scoreless first inning.
The teams then traded three up three down innings in the second before Michigan State would get on the board in the third with one run on three hits.
Michigan State then added one run on two hits in the fourth and two insurance runs on two hits in the sixth for the eventual 4-0 winning score.
ON DECK
Penn State returns to the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field for one final home series in the 2021 season. The Nittany Lions will host the No. 23 Minnesota Golden Gophers in a four-game series, May 14-16. Two of the games, Friday and game two of the doubleheader Saturday, will broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
GAME NOTES
- Four Nittany Lions registered multi-hit games in game one: redshirt senior Kennedy Legg (third of season), juniors Ally Kurland (team-high sixth of season) and Melina Livingston (third of season), and sophomore Maggie Finnegan (third of season).
- Junior pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter recorded seven strikeouts in game one, a career high. Her previous best was six which she did twice as a freshman in 2019, last against Holy Cross (3/8/19).