LYNCHBURG, Va. – Penn State softball split its first day of action at the Liberty Softball Classic on Friday, registering a historic 2-0 victory over the Saint Francis Red Flash followed by a 9-1 loss at the hands of host-Liberty at Kamphuis Field and Liberty Softball Stadium. The Nittany Lions set the program record for consecutive victories to open a season, logging their eighth-straight win in the result against SFU.
Following Friday's extended day of action, the Blue & White move to 8-1 overall on the year with a 1-1 mark in true road contests and a 7-0 record in neutral site competitions. Penn State rose to 8-0 in the win over Saint Francis, surpassing the previous program record start of 7-0 set by the 2023 and 1974 rosters. PSU notched its 38th victory against the Red Flash in 47 attempts, rising to 38-9 in an all-time series that dates to 1990. Saint Francis dropped to 9-3 overall on the year following its losses to PSU and the Flames. Liberty finished the day with a 4-7 overall record, with the Flames recording their second all-time win over PSU in the series and rising to 2-7 against the Blue & White.
Senior catcher Gaby Garcia led the way for the Nittany Lions on Friday, registering a .667 batting average with a pair of hit-by-pitches and two runs scored. Junior second baseman Maddie Gordon worked herself into a groove in the contest against Liberty, booking her first multi-hit game of the season with a pair of singles and an RBI against the Flames. In the win over Saint Francis, Klosowicz booked her first plate appearance of the day as a pinch hitter and worked a bases-loaded, RBI walk to help ensure Penn State's victory.
In the circle, freshman phenom Bridget Nemeth continued her astonishing individual start, tossing 4.1 innings against the Red Flash, yielding just three hits and one walk against four strikeouts, all while notching a .188 batting average-against. Junior southpaw Lydia Spalding saw her first action of 2024 against Liberty, tossing 2.2 stellar innings with zeroes in the hit, run and earned run columns.
Penn State and Saint Francis squared off in the first game of the tournament in Lynchburg, with the Nittany Lions and Red Flash playing three scoreless innings before both squads were forced off the field by intense rain showers. After a two-hour, 20-minute delay, Penn State found its rhythm at the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior right fielder Haylie Brunson drew a leadoff walk to open the inning, and Garcia moved her over to second with a bloop single to right field. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison advanced both runners 60 feet closer to home, and a wild pitch from the Red Flash allowed Brunson to slide in for the score. Thanks to Klosowicz's bases-loaded RBI walk, the Nittany Lions were able to close out the first game of the day by a 2-0 tally.
In the second game of the day, Liberty utilized a five-run opening frame and tacked on four more runs in the second inning. PSU attempted a rally in the top of the second, as Garcia was hit by a Flame pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. After a pair of outs, Gordon laced a single down the right field line and afforded Garcia enough time to round the remaining bases for PSU's opening score. Neither team scored the rest of the way, and Liberty tallied the 9-1 victory in five innings of play.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. SAINT FRANCIS)
Gaby Garcia | 2-for-3, 1 R
Brooke Klosowicz | 1 PA, BB, RBI
Bridget Nemeth | WIN, 4.1 IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 4K
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (AT LIBERTY)
Maddie Gordon | 2-for-2, RBI
Gaby Garcia | 2 HBP, 1 R
Lydia Spalding | 2.2 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER
KEY INNINGS (VS. SAINT FRANCIS)
B4 | Brunson drew a leadoff walk to open the inning, and Garcia moved her over to second with a bloop single to right field. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from Morrison advanced both runners 60 feet closer to home, and a wild pitch from the Red Flash allowed Brunson to slide in for the score. PSU 1, SFU 0
B6 | Brunson reached first base on a fielding error by the Red Flash first baseman, advancing to second after another Garcia single, this time to left field. Morrison stepped up to the dish and singled toward third base, juicing the bases for the Nittany Lions. After a fielder's choice and flyout to right, Klosowicz made her way to the dish and registered a bases-loaded two-out RBI walk in her only plate appearance to book the insurance score. PSU 2, SFU 0
KEY INNINGS (AT LIBERTY)
B1 | Mary Claire Wilson doubled to left center to open the game and scored after a Rachel Roupe double to left. Megan Fortner singled through the middle, advancing Roupe to third. A Sierra Kersten single through the right side plated Roupe and moved Fortner to second. Kersten and Fortner each advanced a base on a groundout, and Rachel Craine booked a sac fly to center that brought Fortner in and allowed Kersten to reach third. After a PSU pitching change, Brooke Roberts hit a two-run homer to right. LIB 5, PSU 0
T2 | Garcia was hit by a Flame pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. After a pair of outs, Gordon laced a single down the right field line and afforded Garcia enough time to round the remaining bases for PSU's opening score. LIB 5, PSU 1
B2 | Raigan Barrett drew a leadoff walk but was out on a fielder's choice after the next at-bat that saw Wilson take her place at first. Roupe singled through the right side, moving Wilson to second, and a Fortner single up the middle brought Wilson around. In the next AB, Kersten hit a three-run homer to left center to close out the night's scoring. LIB 9, PSU 1
UP NEXT
Penn State softball continues its weekend in Lynchburg, as the Nittany Lions return to action for day two of the Liberty Softball Classic with a doubleheader on deck against the Morgan State Bears. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. (ET), with the second game of the day scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET) at Kamphuis Field and Liberty Softball Stadium.
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