WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Aided by a masterclass performance in the batter's box by junior third baseman Emily Maddock, Penn State softball snagged the first of three games against the Purdue Boilermakers by a 4-3 margin on Friday night at Bittinger Stadium.
The Nittany Lions continue to roar through the home stretch of Big Ten Conference play, winning nine of their last 10 competitions while going 8-1 against B1G foes in that span. In their last 10 games, the Blue & White have outscored their challengers by an astonishing 46-14 margin while outhitting opponents by a 73-44 tally. Penn State has booked at least eight hits in each of its last three games and has accomplished that feat five times since the team's April 14 matchup with Rutgers. In the past 10 contests, PSU's already-dominant pitching staff has elevated its game to another level, registering a combined ERA of 1.38 while striking out 60 batters against just 19 walks.
Penn State's weekend-opening win in western Indiana lifted the Nittany Lions' overall record to 29-14 with an even 10-10 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Blue & White have won five-straight games against Purdue dating to a 2019 meeting with the Boilermakers in West Lafayette in addition to last season's sweep at home in Happy Valley. In defeat, Purdue falls to 22-29 overall with a 5-16 record in the Big Ten.
In yet another tightly contested league test, the Big Ten's best bat took her game to another level. Maddock, a native of Kempton, Pennsylvania, finished the evening with a 3-for-3 mark in the box in addition to an RBI on the go-ahead run scored in the top of the seventh inning by senior left fielder Maggie Finnegan. Maddock currently maintains a .494 batting average overall with an awe-inspiring .531 mark against B1G pitchers. The next-best batter in conference-only games, Iowa's Nia Carter, entered the weekend batting .465 against Big Ten pitching staffs.
Elsewhere in the box score, senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison went 1-for-3 on Friday night with a two-RBI double to left center that capped off Penn State's three-run first inning. Senior first baseman Lexie Black went 1-for-4 on the evening with an RBI single in the top of the first inning, adding one run scored later in the frame. Finally, Finnegan and senior catcher Cassie Lindmark continued their stretch of impressive individual performances, extending the longest active reached-base streak on the team to 12 games each.
Fifth-year right-handed pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter dominated in the circle for the Blue & White, as the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, appeared in relief against the Boilermakers. Her impressive outing featured 5.1 innings of shutout work, allowing only one hit while striking out six batters and walking none. Lingenfelter secured the winning decision in the game, bringing her individual record to 10-4 overall this year, the highest single-season win tally of her career. Fifth-year southpaw Bailey Parshall got the start in game one, tossing 1.2 innings with a trio of hits and earned runs.
PSU wasted no time setting the tone for the game, as the Nittany Lions stormed out of the gates with three runs in the top of the first inning. With one out on the board, Maddock singled toward the second baseman and took second on a wild pitch. Lindmark drew a walk on five pitches, and Black smacked an RBI single up the middle that brought Maddock around. In the next at-bat, Morrison cranked a double to left center that plated both Lindmark and Black. Looking to steady the ship, Purdue snapped back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and added another run in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 3-all.
A defensive battle and pitcher's duel ensued, as neither squad managed to add any run support across the next four frames. With the game on the line in the top of the seventh inning, the Nittany Lions knew it was time to step things up. Finnegan answered the bell for the Blue & White, cranking a double down the left-field line while serving a key RBI opportunity for Maddock. On a 3-1 count, Maddock delivered for the Nittany Lions once again, singling to left field and advancing to second on the throw while Finnegan tacked on the go-ahead run. In the home half, Lingenfelter caught a pair of Boilermakers swinging before Jade Moy grounded out to junior second baseman Melody Coombs, finalizing the 4-3 PSU victory.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Emily Maddock | 3-for-3, RBI, HBP, 1 R
Kaitlyn Morrison | 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Lexie Black | 1-for-4, RBI, 1 R
Kylee Lingenfelter | 5.1 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 6K, WIN
KEY INNINGS
T1 | With one out on the board, Emily Maddock singled toward the second baseman and took second on a wild pitch. Cassie Lindmark drew a walk on five pitches, and Lexie Black smacked an RBI single up the middle that brought Maddock around. In the next at-bat, Kaitlyn Morrison cranked a double to left center that plated both Lindmark and Black. PSU 3, PUR 0
B1 | Jade Moy drew a leadoff walk and Alex Echazarreta sent a two-run homer over the wall in left field to bring the Boilermakers back within one. PSU 3, PUR 2
B2 | Anna Lonchar drew a walk to lead off the inning and Jordyn Ramos came in to pinch run for her at first. Summer Scarmardo singled to right center, advancing Ramos to third in the process. After a Purdue batter struck out swinging, Kiara Dillon drove an RBI single up the middle that brought Ramos around. PSU 3, PUR 3
T7 | Maggie Finnegan cranked a double down the left-field line, serving up a key RBI opportunity for Maddock. On a 3-1 count, Maddock delivered for the Nittany Lions once again, singling to left field and advancing to second on the throw while Finnegan tacked on the go-ahead run. PSU 4, PUR 3
UP NEXT
Penn State softball's final series of the 2023 regular season continues on Saturday, May 6, as the Nittany Lions square off against the Purdue Boilermakers in game two at Bittinger Stadium beginning at 2 p.m. (ET), with live streaming available to a worldwide audience via B1G+.
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