UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball recorded its first conference-opening series sweep since 2016 on Sunday afternoon, as the Nittany Lions turned in a 5-2 result against the Indiana Hoosiers to complete an unbeaten weekend against their B1G rivals at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
PSU's astronomical start to the 2024 campaign surged on following Sunday's result, as the Blue & White climb to 23-6 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten action for the first time in eight years. The Nittany Lions last opened a conference slate unbeaten through the first weekend with a victorious three-game set against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the road in Piscataway on March 25 through 27, 2016. PSU also mustered its first series sweep against Indiana in a three-game set since the 1999 team rattled off a trio of victories on the road in Bloomington. The Nittany Lions have earned six victories in the last eight matchups with Indiana, as the Hoosiers drop to 22-9 and 0-3 in the B1G following the weekend's results.
Sunday's sweep-securing victory brought Penn State its 15th consecutive win on Beard Field dating to the team's last home loss against Ohio State a year ago. Penn State currently boasts the fourth-longest active home winning streak in Division I softball, tied with Eastern Kentucky. The Nittany Lions trail Boston University, Northwestern and Tennessee in the category. PSU's eight consecutive overall victories stand as the 11th-longest active streak in the nation as well as the longest active win streak in the Big Ten Conference, ahead of Northwestern's run of seven-straight wins through Sunday's action.
PSU's offensive production continued to hum along on Sunday, with the Nittany Lions turning in a .360 team batting average on day three against IU with a 9-for-25 finish. Senior designated player Kaitlyn Morrison turned in a 2-for-4 line with a pair of runs scored and a pair of extra-base hits. Morrison, a native of South Park, Pennsylvania, recorded her eighth multi-hit outing of the 2024 season, moving her into a tie for second on the squad in the category this season alongside senior third baseman Emily Maddock and senior catcher Gaby Garcia. A native of Southlake, Texas, Garcia tallied a pair of ribbies thanks to an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, mustering her sixth multiple-RBI game in 2024. Six additional Nittany Lions recorded hits in the monumental victory, highlighted by freshman left fielder Michela Barbanente's first collegiate home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pitching and defense continued to come up clutch for the Nittany Lions on Sunday, with the Blue & White calling on a three-pitcher platoon to carry PSU to its eighth consecutive victory. Sophomore right-handed slinger Paige Maynard got the day going with a trio of innings pitched, scattering a pair of hits while yielding a single earned run in an effective start. Junior Mady Volpe tallied an inning of scoreless ball, and freshman Bridget Nemeth closed things out with 3.0 innings of work and a lone earned run allowed. With no pitcher meeting the minimum number of innings, Nemeth was credited with her third victorious decision of the weekend on effectiveness, marking her 13th consecutive victory without a loss to open her career.
Maynard got the game rolling with a trio of impressive innings in the circle for PSU, surrendering just one run by way of a solo shot in the top of the third. Down by a manageable one-run margin, Morrison continued her torrid stretch of offensive outings with a leadoff double down the left field line to open the bottom of the third and Maddock executed a sac bunt to move Morrison 60 feet further. After Garcia stepped up and booked a deep sac fly in foul territory to plate Morrison, Gordon got the offense rolling once again with a double to left center. Following an IU pitching change, junior right fielder Haylie Brunson drew a walk and senior center fielder Liana Jones drove an RBI single to center field to bring Gordon around and put Penn State up 2-1.
With one out on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, Barbanente stepped up to the dish and mercilessly crushed her first collegiate home run over the wall in left field on the first pitch of her at-bat. Barbanente drew a leadoff walk to open the bottom of the sixth inning but was caught attempting to steal second base moments later. Unfazed, Morrison pelted a double to left field and Maddock sent a hard-hit ball toward the shortstop for a single that advanced Morrison to third. Garcia entered the box and lined an RBI single toward the first baseman to plate Morrison and advance Maddock, and Gordon connected on an RBI grounder that scored Maddock for PSU's second run of the frame. Indiana managed to answer with one more run in the top of the seventh, but the Nittany Lions were able to successfully close out the 5-2 win and series sweep of the Hoosiers.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Kaitlyn Morrison | 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B
Michela Barbanente | 1-for-2, R, RBI, FIRST CAREER HR, BB
Bridget Nemeth | WIN, 3.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 0K, 38TP
KEY INNINGS
T3 | With one away, Cora Bassett hit a solo home run over the wall in left field. IU 1, PSU 0
B3 | Morrison continued her torrid stretch of offensive outings with a leadoff double down the left field line and Maddock executed a sac bunt to move Morrison to third. After Garcia stepped up and booked a deep sac fly in foul territory to plate Morrison, Gordon got the offense rolling once again with a double to left center. After an IU pitching change, Brunson drew a walk and Jones drove an RBI single to center field to bring Gordon around. PSU 2, IU 1
B4 | With one out on the scoreboard, Barbanente stepped up to the dish and mercilessly crushed her first collegiate home run over the wall in left field on the first pitch of her at-bat. PSU 3, IU 1
B6 | Barbanente drew a leadoff walk to open the sixth inning, but was caught attempting to steal second base moments later. Unfazed, Morrison pelted a double to left field and Maddock sent a hard-hit ball toward the shortstop for a single that advanced Morrison to third. Garcia entered the box and lined an RBI single toward the first baseman to plate Morrison and advance Maddock, and Gordon connected on an RBI grounder that scored Maddock for PSU's second run of the frame. PSU 5, IU 1
T7 | Cassidy Kettleman legged out a bunt single with one out on the board and advanced to second on a passed ball. Alex Cooper walked in the next plate appearance, and a flyout allowed Kettleman time to tag up and take third. Bassett stepped up and recorded an RBI single that brought Kettleman in for Indiana's final run of the weekend. PSU 5, IU 2
UP NEXT
Penn State softball continues its 12-game home-opening stand at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field this week, as the Nittany Lions welcome the in-state rival Bucknell Bison to Happy Valley for midweek action. The Nittany Lions and Bison are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. (ET), with the game set to air to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+.
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