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Mark Selders

Penn State Softball Closes Out Home Slate with Series Against Wisconsin

Opens in a new window Wisconsin Game Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State softball team (28-18, 10-7 Big Ten) returns home to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field for the final time in 2022 to play host to the Wisconsin Badgers (25-12, 10-5 Big Ten) in a weekend series. 
 
Last time out for Penn State, the Nittany Lions split a doubleheader against Ohio State in Columbus. The Nittany Lions dropped game one 4-2 before winning the second game by the same score. Penn State scored four runs in the sixth inning, capped off by a Kaitlyn Morrison two-RBI double, to take the lead and eventually secure the win. The win over Ohio State was Penn State's second win against a team ranked in the top 25 for RPI this season, with the other being a win over Michigan. 
 
Last weekend, Penn State won its third Big Ten series of the season against Rutgers in New Jersey. The Nittany Lions won the first game 4-3 before run-ruling Rutgers in the second game 8-0 in five innings. In the second game, Lilia Crouthamel had six RBI with a triple and grand slam. She became the fifth Nittany Lion ever to have six RBI in a game. 
 
Both teams come into the weekend with a lot on the line. The Nittany Lions currently find themselves sitting sixth in the Big Ten, just behind Wisconsin in fifth. After only winning seven games in 2021, Penn State finds itself battling with the best at the top of the Big Ten standings with only six conference game remaining before the start of the Big Ten tournament. 
 
Game Information

  • Game 1: Penn State vs. Wisconsin- Friday, April 29; 6 p.m.
  • Game 2: Penn State vs. Wisconsin- Saturday, April 30; 1 p.m.
  • Game 3: Penn State vs. Wisconsin- Sunday, May 1; 11 a.m.

 
All games will be streamed on B1G+ ($)
 
Series History

  • The Nittany Lions hold a 25-22 all-time record against the Wisconsin Badgers, with the first game coming back in 1996.
  • Last season, Penn State opened the season with a doubleheader against Wisconsin down in Leesburg, Fla. The Badgers took both games.

 
Last Time Out

  • On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions split a doubleheader against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. Penn State dropped the first game 4-2 before coming back and winning the second game by the same score.
  • In the second game, Penn State scored four runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead and secure the win. Kaitlyn Morrison's two-RBI double was the difference in the game for Penn State. Bailey Parshall went the distance for the 16th time in 2022 in the game, earning her 18th win of the season in the circle.
  • Last weekend, Penn State took two of three games from Rutgers to earn its third Big Ten series win of the season. The Nittany Lions scored four runs in the sixth inning in game one of the series to win 4-3 before run ruling the Scarlet Knights the next game. 
  • In game two, senior Lilia Crouthamel became the fifth Nittany Lion ever to have six RBI in a game. Crouthamel registered a two-RBI triple before lining a ball off the left field foul pole for a grand slam and her sixth RBI of the contest. 

 
Scouting Bucky Badger

  • Wisconsin enters the weekend with a 25-12 record, including a 10-5 mark in Big Ten play. The Badgers have gone up against the likes of No. 19 Kentucky, No. 13 Virginia Tech, No. 11 Missouri, No. 12 Clemson, and No. 3 UCLA so far this season.
  • Last time out, the Badgers took two of three games from Nebraska in Madison. Entering the weekend, the Cornhuskers were on a 18-game win streak, which was the longest in the country at the time. In Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Nebraska, Maddie Schwartz pitched two complete games and only allowed three earned runs.
  • Maddie Schwartz is the undisputed ace of the Badgers' pitching staff. Schwartz has a 2.37 ERA and has pitched 13 complete games in 2022. Her 20 wins on the season is the second-best mark in the Big Ten and her 10 Big Ten wins are tied for the most conference wins in school history. Ava Justman and Tessa Magnanimo have also seen time in the circle for Wisconsin.
  • Senior Kayla Konwent is the offensive leader for Wisconsin. Konwent is batting .430 with a very impressive ops of 1.350. She leads the team in hits (43), home runs (8), and RBI (25). Konwent's plate discipline is also some of the best in the country, as she leads the Big Ten in walks with 33 this year.  

 
Queen B

  • Senior Bailey Parshall continues to be the standout leader on the Penn State pitching staff in 2022. Parshall leads the Nittany Lions with a 18-6 record and a 1.70 ERA in 168.2 innings pitched.
  • Parshall's eight shutouts is the best mark in the Big Ten and the fifth best in Division I. Her 1.70 ERA is also the fourth best mark in the Big Ten. 
  • Parshall was named Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 21 after going 4-0 with two complete game shutouts. It was the second Big Ten weekly award of her career with her other honor coming in March 2020.
  • 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.

 
Home Sweet Home

  • Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field has been kind to the Nittany Lions in the 2022 season. 
  • Penn State is 13-3 at home in 2022, including a 7-0 record against non-conference opposition in Happy Valley.
  • Last time at home, the Nittany Lions played Indiana in a three-game series. Penn State defeated the Hoosiers in game one 6-0, dropped game two 11-5 and won game three 8-6. 

 
The Lo Show

  • Sophomore shortstop Lauren Marcotte is enjoying her best stretch of the season as of late at the plate and in the field. 
  • In Penn State's last five games, Marcotte is batting .417 with an on base and slugging percentage of .500.
  • In game one against Rutgers, Marcotte went 3-for-4 and she reached base three times and scored two runs in the second game. Her sac fly in the second game against Ohio State tied the game and was the spark to help the Nittany Lions win the game.

 
LIila "I love defense" Crouthamel

  • Senior center fielder Lilia Crouthamel has been a human highlight film in the outfield for Penn State in 2022. Her highlights include a spectacular diving catch against Saint Francis and gunning a runner out at home from dead center field against Purdue.
  • Crouthamel also had a grand slam in Penn State's 5-1 win over Bucknell last week. It was the first grand slam of her career and second home run as well. She was the second Nittany Lion to hit one in 2022 and it was Penn State's third grand slam since 2019.
  • In Penn State's win over Rutgers Saturday, Crouthamel registered six RBI via a two-RBI double and her second grand slam of the season. She became the fifth Nittany Lion ever to registed six RBI in a game.

 
Kurland Killin' It

  • Senior Ally Kurland has been one of the best sluggers in the Big Ten and country in 2022. She leads Penn State in home runs (16), RBI (41), and slugging percentage (.740). Her 16 home runs this season is the third most all-time by a Nittany Lion in a single season. Her 16 doubles are also the fourth best mark all-time by a Nittany Lion in a single season. 
  • After Penn State's sweep over Purdue, Kurland was named the Big Ten Player of the Week. Against Purdue and Bucknell, she batted .583 with seven hits, three home runs, and eight RBI while posting a 1.417 slugging percentage and .667 on base percentage. She was the first Nittany Lion to win the award since Alyssa VanDerveer in 2015. 
  • In the first game against Purdue, Kurland hit two home runs and had five RBI. She tied the school record for the most home runs in a game and became the seventh Nittany Lion ever to record five RBI in a game.
  • On March 4, Kurland rocked a grand slam in the seventh inning as part of a 12-0 victory over North Carolina. Before Lilia Crouthamel's grand slam against Bucknell she was 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.

 
Lindmark Leads the Way

  • Along with Ally Kurland, Cassie Lindmark's offensive output has helped create one of the most formidable one-two punches in the Big Ten.
  • After transferring to Happy Valley from Kentucky, the catcher from Lyons, Illinois leads the Nittany Lions in batting average (.418) and hits (56). She is fourth in batting average and third in on-base percentage (.533) in the Big Ten.
  • Lindmark put up monster numbers on the way to being among the Louisville Slugger/Wilson D1 Top Performers of the Week on March 21. The junior hit .500 with eight hits and six RBI. She also had an on base percentage of .636 and a .688 slugging percentage.

 
On Deck

  • The Nittany Lions close out regular season play with a series on the road against the Fighting Illini. Game one of that series is set for Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m. All games will be streamed on B1G+ ($).