CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – Penn State softball (31-21, 13-10) finished the regular season with a series win over Illinois thanks to a 2-0 victory in the finale. Senior pitcher Bailey Parshall was outstanding in the circle with seven strikeouts to up her season total to 201 strikeouts en route to her ninth shutout of the season. Parshall is the third player in Penn State history to have 200 strikeouts in a season, joining Missy Beseres (2005, 2006) and Jackie Hill (2010, 2011), who each accomplished the feat twice in their careers.
The Lions got on the board first in the third inning as Cassie Lindmark singled with two outs and was pinch run for by Lydia Coleman. On the ensuring at bat, Ally Kurland ripped her 17th double of the season to score Coleman, who was running on the pitch, to give Penn State a 1-0 lead.
Penn State added to the lead with an insurance run in the fifth inning via a single by Kaitlyn Morrison and an RBI double by Lindmark.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Illini threatened with runners on first and second with one out, but Parshall induced a grounder to Lauren Marcotte, who flipped the ball to Michelle Leone at third to get the lead runner out. Parshall then ended the threat with a strikeout of leadoff hitter Avery Steiner for her 200th strikeout of the season.
Game Notes:
- Penn State finished above .500 in Big Ten Conference play for the seventh time in program history (30 seasons – does not count 2020 COVID season), and first time since going 14-9 in 2016.
- The Nittany Lions' 13 Big Ten wins are third most in program history.
- Bailey Parshall earned her 21st win of the season to move into second place on the program's single-season list, breaking a tie with Jackie Hill (2011), and trailing Kelly McCann (22; 2001) for the top position.
- Parshall upped her season strikeout total to 201, which is tied for fourth in single-season program history with Jackie Hill in 2011.
- Parshall became the third player in Penn State history to have 200 strikeouts in a season, joining Missy Beseres (2005, 2006) and Jackie Hill (2010, 2011), who each accomplished the feat twice in their careers.
- Parshall tossed her ninth shutout of the season, which is tied for third in single-season school history and are the most since Missy Beseres had 10 in 2006.
- Parshall threw her 19th complete game of the season, which is tied for 10th in school history and the most since Lisa Akamine had 19 complete games in 2012.
- Parshall is now up to 199.2 innings pitched this season, which ranks sixth in single-season program history and are the most since Jackie Hill had a school record 232.1 innings pitched in 2011.