IOWA CITY, Iowa – Playing in its third extra-inning contest against the Maryland Terrapins in the last four meetings, the Penn State softball team dropped a heartbreaking 3-1 decision in nine innings Wednesday night in the opening round of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament from Pearl Field.
With Wednesday's result, the Nittany Lions moved to 34-18 overall on the season and dropped their first B1G Tournament opening-round contest since the 2019 campaign. In the all-time series against the Terrapins, PSU falls to 24-17 since the first meeting of the two programs in 1999. PSU and Maryland split the 2024 season series right down the middle, with each squad picking up a pair of results. With their victory, the 10th-seeded Terrapins improve to 24-29 overall and will continue their B1G Tournament run with a Thursday quarterfinal matchup against the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines beginning at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on the Big Ten Network.
Senior centerfielder Liana Jones led the way for the Nittany Lions in their B1G Tournament contest, with the veteran presence driving in PSU's only run en route to a 2-for-3 outing at the dish. Jones, a native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, logged a pair of hits in a single game for the ninth time this season, cranking multiple hits in a game for the 12th time overall in 2024. Jones currently ranks third on the Nittany Lion roster in home runs this season with eight, surpassing her single-season career high from a year ago. Elsewhere in the batting order, freshman left fielder Michela Barbanente went 1-for-3 overall and recorded a trio of putouts including a highlight-reel diving snag.
In the circle, freshman pitcher Bridget Nemeth recorded her 15th complete game of the 2024 season and tossed 9.0 innings pitched with seven hits, three earned runs and six strikeouts in 133 total pitches. Nemeth's 22-6 overall record continues to lead the Big Ten Conference, with the newly crowned Big Ten Freshman of the Year tying the Nittany Lion program record for wins in a single year. Nemeth, a native of Glendora, California, has pitched 192.0 innings in the circle, the seventh-most innings pitched in a single season in Penn State program history.
After a trio of relatively uneventful innings aided by impressive starts from Nemeth and Maryland senior Courtney Wyche in the circle. The Terrapins were able to get the game rolling with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Nittany Lions conjured a response in the home half of the fifth. On the second pitch of her at-bat, Jones cranked an absolute rocket of a solo shot over the wall in dead center to deadlock the game at one run apiece. The Blue & White were able to load the bases with a single out in the bottom of the fifth but did not plate an additional score in the frame. Penn State and Maryland battled close the rest of the way, but neither program was able to score the game-winning run in regulation. The Terrapins were able to tack on a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, and PSU failed to answer as Maryland advanced in the B1G Tournament with a 3-1 win.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Liana Jones | 2-for-3, R, RBI, HR, BB
Michela Barbanente | 1-for-3, BB
Bridget Nemeth | CG, 9.0 IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 6K, 133TP
KEY INNINGS
T4 | With a pair of outs on the scoreboard, Diamond Williams drove a home run over the fence in center field. UMD 1, PSU 0
B5 | On the second pitch of her at-bat, Jones cranked an absolute rocket over the wall in dead center. PSU 1, UMD 1
T9 | Mazie MacFarlane drew a leadoff walk to open the inning and Sydney Lewis executed a sac bunt to bump MacFarlane to second. Caitlyn Cornwell came in to pinch run for MacFarlane, and a Williams single off the wall and advancement to second on the throw brought Cornwell all the way around. Bri Godfrey entered to pinch run for Williams at second base, and after a Terrapin strikeout, Madison Runyan singled to center field to plate Godfrey. UMD 3, PSU 1
UP NEXT
Penn State softball awaits its postseason fate in the 2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship, with the Nittany Lions seeking their first selection to the field of 64 since the 2011 team hosted the University Park Regional at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. PSU's postseason fate, as well as the final tournament bracket will be announced to a worldwide audience on Selection Sunday, May 12, with a 7 p.m. (ET) program tabbed for national broadcast via ESPN2 and the ESPN app.
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Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Instagram and X @PennStateSB.
