After a packed week of softball, the Penn State softball team (17-11, 0-0 Big Ten) returns to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field to face Maryland (13-14, 0-0 Big Ten) in a three-game series beginning Thursday night. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. The remaining games of the series are slated for Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. All games will be streamed live on B1G+ ($).
The Nittany Lions are riding a seven-game winning streak after a win at Pitt, a perfect 5-0 record at the Penn State Softball Invitational, and a 2-1 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) Tuesday.
SERIES HISTORY
- This will be the 28th all-time contest between Penn State and Maryland. The Nittany Lions hold a 17-11 all-time record over the Terrapins.
- The last time these two teams met was in a four-game series on April 23-25, 2021. Penn State took the first game of the series, 8-7 in eight innings, before dropping the next three contest (17-13, 3-1, 5-4).
SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS
- Maryland is 13-14 this season and are riding a two-game winning streak.
- Last time out, the Terps went 2-2 in the Capital City Classic, closing out the tournament with a 5-3 win over North Dakota State.
- Mackense Greico has been key for the Terrapins this season. She is batting .367 with 22 hits, three home runs, and 15 RBI with a .633 slugging percentage. The Terrapins have five other players who are batting .300 on the season including Ruby Butler, Michaela Jones, Taylor Okada, Haley Ellefson and Kiley Goff.
- Trinity Schlotterbeck has seen the majority of the innings for Maryland, going 6-8 with a 4.91 ERA through 73.1 innings pitched. Courtney Wyche has pitched 57.1 innings, going 5-4 with a 3.45 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Nittany Lions secured a 2-1 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) Tuesday.
- In the bottom of the first inning, the Penn State offense put the Nittany Lions on the board first with a sac fly by Lexie Black to bring Cassie Lindmark home. The Red Flash answered scoring the tying run in the top of the second. Mel Coombs' RBI double down the left field line drove in the winning run in the bottom of the second.
- The last five innings consisted of a joint defensive effort. Lilia Crouthamel and Maggie Finnegan made spectacular catches to keep Penn State in the lead. Vanessa Oatley entered the game and kept the Red Flash off the board. Bailey Parshall closed out the game for Penn State to secure the win.
QUEEN B
- Senior Bailey Parshall continues to be the standout leader on the Penn State pitching in 2022. Parshall leads the Nittany Lions with a 11-3 record and a 1.40 ERA in 100.1 innings pitched.
- Parshall was named Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday after going 4-0 with two complete game shutouts last week. It's the second Big Ten weekly award of her career with her other honor coming in March 2020.
- Parshall's seven shutouts is the best mark in the Big Ten and the second best in Division I.
- The gem of Parshall's season is her perfect game against FIU Feb. 18. The perfect game was the fifth in program history and second to be a seven-inning perfect game. Parshall's perfect effort is the first for Penn State since Missy Beseres blanked St. Francis (Pa.) in five innings on March 30, 2005.
- This was also the 14th no-hitter in Penn State history and first since Ashley Esparza shutdown Illinois in a 13-0 win in five innings on April 5, 2008.
LINDMARK LEADS THE WAY
- Junior Cassie Lindmark has solidified herself as the most potent offensive weapon the Nittany Lions have in 2022.
- Lindmark is currently riding a team-high 12-game hitting streak.
- After transferring to Happy Valley from Kentucky, Lindmark has been the leader of the Penn State offense. The catcher from Lyons, Illinois leads the Nittany Lions in batting average (.429) and hits (36). She is fifth in the Big Ten in batting average.
- Over Penn State's six games last week, Lindmark put up monster numbers on the way to being among the Louisville Slugger/Wilson D1 Top Performers of the Week. The junior hit .500 with eight hits and six RBI. She also had an on base percentage of .636 and a .688 slugging percentage.
NEAR PERFECTION IN THE FIELD
- Penn State's defensive game in 2022 has been one of the best in the country.
- The Nittany Lions' .979 fielding percentage is the best mark in the Big Ten and ranks 11th in the country.
- Thirteen Nittany Lions have a perfect fielding percentage this season.
KURLAND KILLIN' IT
- Senior Ally Kurland has been swinging the bat with a purpose as of late. She leads the Nittany Lions in slugging percentage (.774), doubles (13), and home runs (9).
- In Penn State's game against UMass Lowell on Saturday, Kurland went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. It was her fifth multi-RBI game of the season.
- On March 4, Kurland rocked a grand slam in the seventh inning as part of a 12-0 victory over North Carolina. She is the first Nittany Lion to hit a grand slam since Toni Polk against Purdue on April 5, 2019.
- Kurland also had a career-high six RBI off of her two-run double and grand slam against the Tar Heels. Her six RBI are tied for the third-most in program history and the most by a Penn State player since Alyssa VanDerveer had a school-record seven RBI against Fordham on February 27, 2016.
- Kurland is the first Penn State player with five or more RBI in a game since Rebecca Ziegler have five RBI against Virginia Tech on February 19, 2017.
STREAKING
- The Nittany Lions have won seven-straight games for the first time since 2016, when they won seven consecutive games from March 23 to April 4.
- Penn State is also 6-0 at home this year, marking the best start to a home campaign since starting the 2011 season 6-0 in the inaugural season at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
ON DECK
- The Nittany Lions host Bucknell before continuing Big Ten play against Purdue in a home series next weekend.
- Penn State vs. Bucknell is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29.