UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Although the Penn State offense out-hit its opponent in both contests, Nittany Lion softball fell in both halves of a midweek doubleheader against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday night at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. OSU took the first game by a 9-5 margin before booking a 4-1 finish in the nightcap.
After dropping Tuesday's doubleheader, Penn State moved to 20-13 overall and 2-9 against challengers from the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State, meanwhile, climbed to 25-13 through this point in the 2023 campaign and improved to 6-5 against league foes with a road series against Illinois on deck.
Senior catcher Cassie Lindmark headlined the evening offensively for the Blue & White, connecting on a combined trio of hits against the Buckeyes including an extra-base knock in the second game of the evening. Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison and junior third baseman Emily Maddock lit the scoresheet up in the lid-lifter, with Morrison going 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles while Maddock finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Lindmark contributed a pair of hits in the finale, while senior right fielder Maggie Finnegan finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
In the circle, fifth-year left-hander Bailey Parshall led the way with a combined 7.0 innings pitched, allowing just five hits and a trio of earned runs while striking out 10 batters and walking three. Parshall opened the evening by recording the first six outs completely unaided, recording six strikeouts through two innings of work. Parshall and fifth-year right-hander Kylee Lingenfelter each booked losses on the evening. Additionally, the Nittany Lions saw freshman righty Paige Maynard and senior southpaw Vanessa Oatley come in for brief relief outings.
Penn State got out to a solid start in the opening game of the doubleheader, as the Nittany Lions struck first in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Morrison doubled through the right-center gap. And graduate designated player Morgan Farrah dropped a double into shallow right field that brought Morrison home to score. OSU responded with back-to-back solo homers in the visitor's half of the third before adding three more in the top of the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. The Blue & White attempted to spark a rally in the bottom of the fifth, with Maddock singling to left field and Liana Jones blasting a homer down the left-field line for a two-run shot to bring PSU within two. Ohio State would go on to outscore the Nittany Lions by a 4-2 margin the rest of the way to take the opening game by a 9-5 score.
Riding a wave of momentum from their game one win, the Buckeyes struck while the iron was hot in the top of the first inning of game two. Ohio State recorded a two-RBI double to take an early 2-0 advantage in the contest. A solo home run on an 0-2 count in the top of the fourth gave the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead, but the Nittany Lions battled back in the home half of the sixth. Morrison singled to the shortstop and advanced to second after Maddie Gordon singled to left field. Finnegan doubled to center, sending Gordon to third and bringing Morrison in for PSU's first run of the nightcap. Despite a gritty performance on both sides of the ball, OSU added an insurance run in the seventh and left Happy Valley with a pair of victories.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (GAME ONE)
Kaitlyn Morrison | 2-for-2, 2 2B, BB
Liana Jones | 2-for-2, HR, 2B, 2RBI
Emily Maddock | 3-for-4, 3H, RBI
Bailey Parshall | 4.0 IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 7K, 63 TP
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (GAME TWO)
Cassie Lindmark | 2-for-4, 2B
Maggie Finnegan | 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Bailey Parshall | 3.0 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K, 56 TP
KEY INNINGS (GAME ONE)
B2 | Kaitlyn Morrison doubled through the right-center gap. Morgan Farrah dropped a hit into shallow right field and advanced to second base, bringing Morrison home to score. PSU 1, OSU 0
T3 | Melina Wilkison homered to left-center field. Kami Kortokrax followed in the ensuing at-bat with a homer over the center field wall. OSU 2, PSU 1
T5 | Mariah Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk and Kortokrax followed with one of her own. Sam Hakenbracht drew a walk to load the bases. Meggie Otte hit a line drive over the Penn State left fielder's head, completing the bases-clearing double. OSU 5, PSU 1
B5 | Emily Maddock singled to left field and Liana Jones hit a homer down the left-field line for a two-run shot that brought PSU within two. OSU 5, PSU 3
T6 | Jaycee Ruberti worked a full count for a walk. Hannah Church homered down the right field line to plate two. Mariah Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by Penn State's second baseman. Ruberti advanced moments later via a wild pitch. Farley singled on a groundball to left center, bringing Ruberti around. OSU 8, PSU 3.
B6 | Melody Coombs reached via fielder's choice. Cassie Lindmark hit a pop fly to shallow left field that was dropped by the second basemen, allowing Coombs to score. Emily Maddock singled to left center moments later, plating Lindmark. OSU 8, PSU 5.
T7 | Otte hit a double to right center on the first pitch of her at-bat, advancing to third on a groundout by McKenzie Bump. A sacrifice fly to left field by Ruberti scored Otte. OSU 9, PSU 5.
KEY INNINGS (GAME TWO)
T1 | Wilkison drew a walk and advanced to third after Kortokrax singled to left center. Kortokrax stole second base moments later, and a double to left by Hackenbracht plated both runners. OSU 2, PSU 0
T4 | Hackenbrach pelted a solo homer to center on an 0-2 count. OSU 3, PSU 0
B6 | Morrison singled to the shortstop and advanced to second after Maddie Gordon singled to left field. Finnegan doubled to center, sending Gordon to third and bringing Morrison in for PSU's first run of the nightcap. OSU 3, PSU 1
T7 | Rodriguez doubled to left center and pinch hitter Taylor Pack drew a walk. Skylar Limon came in to pinch run for Pack at first, and both runners advanced a base after a PSU wild pitch. Wilkison sent a sacrifice fly out to center, scoring Rodriguez. OSU 4, PSU 1
UP NEXT
Penn State softball remains in Happy Valley this weekend, as the Nittany Lions welcome the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to Beard Field and Nittany Lion Softball Park for a three-game stretch beginning on Friday, April 14, and concluding on Sunday, April 16. First pitch in the weekend opener is slated for 5 p.m.
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Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateSB.
