LYNCHBURG, Va. – Guided by one of the most dominant offensive outings in recent memory, the Penn State softball team recorded a commanding 12-5 victory over the Keystone State-rival Penn Quakers on Sunday at Kamphuis Field and Liberty Softball Stadium. The Nittany Lions concluded the 2024 Liberty Softball Classic with a 4-1 overall record, including a pair of wins over Pennsylvania-based opponents.
The Blue & White finished with an astonishing 17 hits in the eight-run victory, booking 15-or-more knocks for the first time since a 15-hit, 13-run performance against Saint Francis on April 3, 2019. Penn State's offense also finished with double-digit hits in back-to-back games for the first time since booking 11 hits in consecutive contests against Boston University and Delaware on February 26 and March 4, 2023. Junior centerfielder Haylie Brunson led the way with a historic individual performance, tying for the third-most hits in a single game in Penn State history with a 4-for-5 showing that included six RBI, also tied for the third-most in a game in the PSU record book. Brunson, a native of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, booked a home run, a pair of doubles and a single in her outstanding effort.
Penn State's record-setting start to the 2024 season continued following its third straight victory, pairing Sunday's win over Penn with a doubleheader sweep of Morgan State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions improve to 11-1 overall through their first 12 games of the season, matching the 1982 team's opening through 12 contests. PSU mustered its first win over the in-state rival Quakers in the short-lived all-time series, moving to 1-1 against Penn following a neutral site loss in 2019. In defeat, Penn drops to 1-4 through its first weekend of competition in the 2024 season.
In addition to Brunson's historic offensive output, senior left fielder Liana Jones went 2-for-3 with a single and a solo homer in addition to a pair of RBI. Freshman designated player Michela Barbanente hit .500 on Sunday with an RBI, while junior right fielder Maddie Gordon finished 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles and three runs scored on the day, tied for the eighth most runs scored in a single game in program history. In total, 10 Nittany Lions mustered hits on the day, including all nine members of PSU's original batting order. The Blue & White ultimately finished with seven extra-base hits in the win, including five doubles and two homers.
In the circle, the powerful pitching pair of junior Mady Volpe and freshman Bridget Nemeth worked in tandem to strike out 10 batters and surrender a single earned run. Volpe earned the starting nod, her fifth start of the campaign, tossing 2.1 innings with a trio of strikeouts and three hits allowed. In relief, the Glendora, California, native Nemeth threw 4.2 innings, logging seven strikeouts and three hits allowed with seven batters dispatched by way of the strikeout. Nemeth rose to 8-0 individually after earning credit for the victory, one of the most dominant starts to a pitching career in Nittany Lion history.
After Penn logged an unearned run in the home half of the first inning, the Nittany Lion offense roared to life in the top of the second. Jones led things off with a five-pitch walk in her first plate appearance of the day, sparking a three-run inning of work from the PSU bats. Penn answered back in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs to deadlock the score at three runs apiece, but a heavy-hitting fourth frame from the Blue & White put PSU ahead by a four-run margin. With one out on the board, Gordon doubled to centerfield, and Brunson destroyed a softball over the wall in right center for a two-run shot. After a flyout that put two away, Maddock singled up the middle, and Morrison booked an RBI double. Morrison was able to advance to third on the throw home that attempted to stop Maddock's score. After a Quaker pitching change, Jones singled up the middle to bring Morrison in for the 7-4 Nittany Lion lead.
Penn added its final two runs of the day in unearned fashion in the bottom of the fourth. From there, Penn State's relentless offensive approach kicked in for a dominant final three innings. Brunson brought Hernandez in with an RBI grounder in the fifth, and Jones cranked a solo shot in the sixth to put the Nittany Lions ahead by four. In the top of the seventh, Mack singled through the left side and advanced to third following a blazing double down the third base line from Gordon. After Penn's second pitching change of the game, Brunson singled to left and advanced to second on the throw home, while both Gordon and Mack completed their trips around the bases. In the next at-bat, Garcia singled to right, allowing Brunson to tack on the final Nittany Lion run of the day, finalizing a 12-5 in-state rivalry win over the Quakers to close out the weekend.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Haylie Brunson | 4-for-5, 2 R, 6 RBI, HR, 2 2B
Liana Jones | 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, SB
Bridget Nemeth | WIN, 4.2 IP, 3H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 7K, 83TP
KEY INNINGS
B1 | Brianna Brown reached on a fielding error by the first baseman, advancing to second after a Jade Montgomery single to right center. After a Quaker foul out, Delaney Smith drew a walk to load the bases. A Penn returned to the dugout by way of a swinging strikeout, but Katie Reagan tallied an RBI single to right in the next at-bat that brought Brown in for the unearned score. PENN 1, PSU 0
T2 | Jones led off the top of the second frame with a five-pitch walk and proceeded to reach third after a Quaker wild pitch left the Penn defense in disarray. Barbanente stepped up to the dish and delivered an RBI grounder that brought Jones in to score. Hernandez singled to right in the next at-bat and promptly stole second base. After a PSU pop up, Gordon reached on a fielding error by the Quaker shortstop and advanced to second after the throw attempting to catch Hernandez at the plate failed. Brunson doubled to left field shortly afterward, bringing in Gordon for PSU's third run. PSU 3, PENN 1
B3 | Sammy Fenton booked a walk with one out on the board, and Reagan doubled to right-center to bring Fenton in to score. After a PSU pitching change, a passed ball allowed a pinch runner to reach third. Chloe Lesko drew a walk and advanced to second while Maia Hartley rounded the basepath on a wild pitch. PSU 3, PENN 3
T4 | With one out on the board, Gordon doubled to centerfield, and Brunson destroyed a softball over the wall in right center for a two-run shot. After a flyout that put two away, Maddock singled up the middle, and Morrison booked an RBI double. Morrison was able to advance to third on the throw home that attempted to stop Maddock's score. After a Quaker pitching change, Jones singled up the middle to bring Morrison in. PSU 7, PENN 3
B4 | After back-to-back strikeouts, Smith and Fenton logged singles in consecutive at-bats that placed runners on first and second. After Reagan reached on a fielding error, Fenton and Smith were able to complete their journeys around the bases for a pair of unearned scores. PSU 7, PENN 5
T5 | Hernandez singled down the right field line and Poletti singled toward the third baseman, allowing Hernandez to reach second. Both players perfectly executed a double steal to advance 60 feet apiece, and with one out on the board, Brunson booked an RBI grounder to bring Hernandez in. PSU 8, PENN 5
T6 | On the ninth pitch of her at-bat, Jones cranked a solo shot over the wall in left field beyond the outstretched glove of the Penn defender. PSU 9, PENN 5
T7 | Mack singled through the left side and advanced to third following a blazing double down the third base line from Gordon. After another Penn pitching change, Brunson singled to left and advanced to second on the throw home, while both Gordon and Mack completed their trips around the bases. In the next at-bat, Garcia singled to right, allowing Brunson to tack on the final Nittany Lion run of the day. PSU 12, PENN 5
UP NEXT
Penn State softball prepares for its annual spring break road trip next week, as the Nittany Lions head to the Lone Star State for the Longhorn Invitational. PSU takes the field twice against Tarleton, with single games scheduled against Hofstra, Northwestern State and second-ranked Texas beginning on Saturday, March 2 and concluding Monday, March 4.
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