CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Penn State Softball improved to 7-0 to start the season after two dominate performances against Charlotte, 3-0, and Kent State, 11-2 (6 innings), on Friday.
Kylee Lingenfelter (Punxsutawney, Pa.) and Bailey Parshall (Belle Vernon, Pa.) split time in the circle between the two games. Lingenfelter allowed no runs, one hit, two walks and fanned five batters over four innings. Parshall, who finished the night with two wins pitched eight innings, allowing two runs, three hits and no walks while striking out 14.
On offense, Kaitlyn Morrison (South Park, Pa.) led the way against Charlotte. She went 3-for-3 with an RBI, home run, double and single. Lexie Black (Omaha, Neb.) led the way in the second game, belting her third home run of the season while going 2-for-4 and driving in four runs.
Game 1: Penn State 3, Charlotte 0
In the third inning, Lilia Crouthamel (Allentown, Pa.) beat out an infield single to the second baseman and advanced to second when Maggie Finnegan (McHenry, Ill.) laid down a bunt. Black blasted a ball back up the middle scoring Crouthamel and giving the Nittany Lions the early 1-0 advantage.
The Nittany Lions got back to work in the fourth inning when Morrison connected with a ball that landed beyond the left field fence. Melody Coombs (Mechanicsville, Md.) doubled and snagged third on a passed ball following the solo home run. She touched home when Crouthamel laid down a squeeze bunt and beat the throw to first.
Parshall entered the game for Lingenfelter in the bottom of the fourth and continued her hot start to the season striking out seven in four innings of work.
The Nittany Lions couldn't muster anymore offense for the remainder of the game, however, they continued to shut down the 49ers lineup and entered the night game following their fifth-straight shutout win.
Game 2: Penn State 11, Kent State 2 (6 innings)
Penn State wasted no time getting runs on the board as Black doubled to right center field bringing home Lauren Marcotte (Torrance, Calif.) who started the first inning with a single. Black came around when Kathryn Rex (Toledo, Ohio) singled up the middle to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 advantage.
Coombs led off the second inning with a walk and then advanced to second with a steal. Finnegan brought Coombs home with a single to center field. Crouthamel, who reached on an error, advanced to third. Finnegan took off stealing with Crouthamel on third, but instead of throwing to second, Kent state catcher Bri Despines set her sights on Crouthamel. The throw towards a retreating Crouthamel went wild, and Kent State third baseman Brynn Libler couldn't adjust, allowing Crouthamel to take home and extend the Nittany Lion lead to four.
Penn State continued its hot start in the third when Rex got ahold of a fastball that found its way to the left field bushes and put the Nittany Lions up, 5-0.
Kent State wouldn't go away quietly. Emily Lippe got ahold of a Parshall pitch for a two-run home run and put the Golden Flashes on the board. It was the first earned run of the season for the Nittany Lions, and put an end to their five-straight consecutive shutouts.
The Nittany Lions responded in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Both Lydia Coleman (Hoover, Ala.) and Crouthamel singled to start the inning and then advanced on a wild pitch.
Finnegan singled home Coleman, extending the Nittany Lion lead to four, and Crouthamel advanced to third. Some more tricky base running from Crouthamel drew a wild throw home after Marcotte flew out to center field and the lead became 7-2. Liana Jones joined the scoring sending a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored a tagging Finnegan. The Nittany Lions took an 8-2 lead into the fifth inning.
Lingenfelter, who started the first game against Charlotte, entered in the fifth to relieve Parshall, who pitched four spectacular innings and added seven strikeouts. Lingenfelter pitched one scoreless inning before Vanessa Oatley (South Kingstown, R.I.) made her first appearance of the season in the sixth inning, setting down the Golden Flashes in order.
Black ended the game in the bottom of the sixth when she crushed a three-run-homerun that cleared the left field wall.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions will continue in the Queen City Classic tomorrow morning against Georgia Tech at 10 a.m. They will then finish the day with a matchup against Boston University at 12:30 p.m.
