UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In a grueling nine-inning affair, the Penn State softball team picked up a win in its final non-conference contest of the 2024 season, as the Nittany Lions recorded a 3-2 finish against the in-state rival Saint Francis Red Flash Tuesday evening from Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
The midweek result saw the Blue & White put an end to the nation's longest active winning streak, with Saint Francis going unbeaten in each of their last 18 contests. Penn State also managed to publish its 33rd overall victory, moving to 33-12 overall in the 2024 season while maintaining their 11-6 mark against Big Ten Conference challengers this year. PSU's 33 wins are the eighth-most in a single season in program history, in addition to being the most wins in Happy Valley since the 2008 team published a 34-22 overall record. The Nittany Lions need just six more overall victories to match, and seven to surpass the all-time program record for wins in a single year.
In the all-time series against the Red Flash, Penn State extended its win streak to four consecutive games while booking its second win versus Saint Francis in the 2024 season, with Tuesday's outing joining a gritty 2-0 performance on February 23 in Lynchburg, Virginia, during the Liberty Softball Classic. PSU climbs to 39-9 overall against SFU and remains unbeaten against the Red Flash since head coach Clarisa Crowell assumed the top job in University Park in 2020-21. The defeat saw Saint Francis, the top team and postseason favorite from the Northeast Conference, fall to 31-12 overall while preserving their 18-0 start to NEC play. SFU returns to conference competition this weekend on the road against Wagner.
On a night where hits were hard to come by, senior second baseman Kaitlyn Morrison stepped up for the Blue & White and mustered her 12th multiple-hit game of the 2024 season with a single and a triple in Tuesday night's battle. Morrison, a native of South Park, Pennsylvania, belted her sixth triple of the year, moving her into a tie for seventh place all-time at Penn State for triples in a single season. Morrison's three-bagger was her second in the last five days, as well as PSU's 17th triple overall this year, moving the 2024 Nittany Lions into sole possession of third all-time in Happy Valley for triples in a season. Additionally, senior third baseman Emily Maddock managed a bunt single en route to a 1-for-3 performance at the plate.
In the pitcher's circle, freshman standout Bridget Nemeth continued her ascendence through the Nittany Lion record book, moving into sole possession of third all-time at PSU for victories in a single season following her 21st winning decision Tuesday night. Nemeth, a native of Glendora, California, now trails Nittany Lion legends Bailey Parshall and Kelly McCann for the most wins all time, needing just one more victory to tie and two to pass the record of 22. Nemeth's performance against SFU featured 8.0 innings of work with five hits scattered, yielding zero runs with seven strikeouts as the freshman climbed to 21-3 overall in her debut season. Junior righty Mady Volpe entered to toss one inning of relief, striking out one while yielding a pair of earned runs.
After a quiet opening inning of work, junior Haylie Brunson drew a walk on four pitches to open the home half of the second and advanced to second after Maddock legged out a sac bunt attempt for a single. In the following at-bat, freshman shortstop Jiselle Hernandez attempted a sacrifice bunt of her own and reached first following a throwing error by the third baseman that allowed Brunson to score and saw Maddock trot to third. The third and fourth innings passed without major incident, and Penn State was able to double its early lead with another score in the bottom of the fifth. With one out on the board, Morrison drilled her sixth triple of the 2024 campaign to right field. From there, senior center fielder Liana Jones entered the batter's box and executed a suicide squeeze that saw Morrison beat out the pitcher's flip to her catcher at home to make it 2-0 in Penn State's favor.
Saint Francis refused to back down, as the Red Flash threatened with multiple runners in scoring position in the next two innings before finally breaking through with a two-RBI double in the top of the seventh. After Penn State failed to answer back in the home half, the game went into extra innings with the international tiebreaker rule in effect. Dramatic defensive plays on both sides saw the eighth go by scoreless, but the Nittany Lions looked to close things out in the bottom of the ninth. In line with ITB rules, Hernandez was placed on second base, and Poletti reached first on a fielder's choice sac bunt that allowed Hernandez to advance to third after SFU failed to get out the lead runner. A wild pitch saw Poletti advance to second, and another wild pitch allowed Hernandez time to sprint home to close out the gritty nine-inning affair.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Kaitlyn Morrison | 2-for-4, R, 3B
Haylie Brunson | 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
Bridget Nemeth | WIN, 8.0 IP, 5H, 0R, 0ER, 4BB, 7K, 110TP
KEY INNINGS
B2 | Brunson drew a walk on four pitches to open the home half of the second and advanced to second after Maddock legged out a sac bunt attempt for a single. In the following at-bat, Hernandez attempted a sacrifice bunt of her own, and reached first following a throwing error by the third baseman that allowed Brunson to score and saw Maddock trot to third. PSU 1, SFU 0
B5 | With one out on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, Morrison drilled her sixth triple of the 2024 campaign to right field. From there, Jones entered the batter's box and executed a suicide squeeze that saw Morrison beat out the pitcher's flip to her catcher at home. PSU 2, SFU 0
T7 | After a grounder put one away, Ashley Wruble drew a walk on four pitches. The next batter struck out swinging on an 0-2 count, but Savannah Nash kept SFU's hopes alive with a single through the left side of the infield. With runners on first and second, Lexi Hernandez lifted a double to left field that hit the outfield wall, allowing Wruble and Nash requisite time to deadlock the game. PSU 2, SFU 2
B9 | In line with international tiebreaker rules, Hernandez was placed on second base to open the bottom of the ninth, and Poletti reached first on a fielder's choice sac bunt that saw Hernandez reach third after a failed attempt by Saint Francis to get out the lead runner. A wild pitch allowed Poletti to advance to second, and another wild pitch allowed Hernandez time to sprint home to close out the gritty nine-inning affair. PSU 3, SFU 2
UP NEXT
Penn State softball remains in the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field for its final home series of the 2024 campaign, as the Blue & White welcome the Michigan Wolverines to Happy Valley for a three-game set beginning Friday and concluding Sunday, April 26 through 28. All three games of the weekend series will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app. Sunday's finale will also serve as the program's Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association, with festivities scheduled pregame.
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