ATLANTA, Ga. – The Penn State softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader, 2-0 in game one and 6-4 in game two, at Georgia Tech Friday afternoon at Mewborn Field.
Game 1: Georgia Tech 2, Penn State 0
In what was very much a pitchers' duel until the final inning, Georgia Tech narrowly got away with a 2-0 win over Penn State on a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior Cassie Lindmark went 3-for-3 in the game for the Nittany Lions, but the team couldn't find those timely hits to bring her home.
The Yellow Jackets threatened for the first time in the game in the bottom of the second with a lead-off double and a sac bunt to advance the runner to third. Another bunt then had runners on the corners before a stolen base put both runners in scoring position. But senior Claire Swedberg made a great diving catch in shallow right field for the third out to keep the game scoreless.
The Nittany Lions had their best chance to score in the top of the fifth as senior Lilia Crouthamel had a lead-off single up the middle and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Maggie Finnegan. Crouthamel was then able to advance to third, but Georgia Tech got a huge strikeout to end the frame.
Both teams had more chances in the sixth to put a run on the board, as did Penn State in the top of the seventh as junior Lexie Black hit a lead-off single but nothing came from it.
Georgia Tech walked it off with a two-run home run with one out in the final frame.
Senior pitcher Bailey Parshall finished with eight strikeouts in the start in the circle.
Game 2: Georgia Tech 6, Penn State 4
After a 1-1 score after the first inning, Georgia Tech started to run away with game two, scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth before a valiant comeback attempt by Lindmark's three-run bomb in the seventh got Penn State within two at the final, 6-4.
The teams traded runs in the opening inning, a score which would then hold for the next four and a half innings.
Senior Ally Kurland had a solo home run in the two-hole to initially put the Nittany Lions on top. Georgia Tech then tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a lead-off double and a sacrifice fly to make it 1-1.
The next four full innings would see good defense from both sides as both Penn State and Georgia Tech would strand three runners each.
The Yellow Jackets then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on five hits and an error to make it 6-1.
Lindmark got the Nittany Lions back within two with a three-run home run after Finnegan and sophomore Mel Coombs had back-to-back singles to get on base, but the comeback attempt would come up just short.
ON DECK
Penn State continues play in the I-75 Challenge with a doubleheader at Kennesaw State on Saturday. Game one starts at 2 p.m. and will stream live on YouTube.
GAME NOTES
- Junior Cassie Lindmark recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season, tying her single-game best with three hits in game one, also done last weekend against FIU (2/18/22).
- Lindmark registered her second multi-RBI game of the season with a single-game best three RBI in game two on the home run.