SALEM, Va. – Featuring the highest single-game scoring output by a Nittany Lion offense since 1978 in the first game of the day, Penn State softball roared to a pair of non-conference neutral site wins on the opening day of the Hokie Invite from the James I. Moyer Sports Complex on Friday. The Blue & White opened the action with a historic 18-6, five-inning throttling of the Robert Morris Colonials, and finished the day with a scrappy 5-3 win over the Radford Highlanders to book the team’s first Friday sweep of 2025.
Penn State’s offense stole the show in both halves of Friday’s doubleheader action in Western Virginia, as the Nittany Lions combined to hit at an astounding .480 rate on the day with six home runs and 11 extra-base hits overall. In the team’s rout of RMU, the Blue & White amassed the most runs scored in a PSU softball game since booking a 20-1 win over Ursinus College in University Park on May 6, 1978. It marks just the second time since 2016 that PSU tallied 15 or more runs in a single game, with the Blue & White last scoring 15 or more on March 17 of last season in a 15-5, five-inning win over the Binghamton Bearcats. Every Penn Stater that earned at least one start on the day published a minimum of one hit across both contests, with PSU racking up 23 hits on 24 runs as a squad.
Following Friday’s dominant pair of performances, the Nittany Lions booked a doubleheader Friday sweep for the first time this season and took both halves of a twin-bill for the second time this year, with the pair of results joining a Saturday sweep of Loyola Chicago and St. John’s in the second week of the season. With the wins in hand, Penn State moves closer to .500 and rises to 7-9 overall through a grueling early-season non-conference stretch. After Friday’s games came to a close, Robert Morris dropped to 2-2 overall while Radford moved to 6-11. The Blue & White extended their lead in the all-time series with both challengers, improving to 11-7 against in-state rival RMU while rising to 4-1 against Radford following the fifth all-time meeting.
Senior third baseman Maddie Gordon was an unstoppable force in Friday’s action, with the Shenandoah, Virginia, native showing out for her home state to the tune of a 4-for-5 performance with three runs scored, a double and two home runs in addition to a Nittany Lion-leading seven RBI across both halves of the doubleheader. Gordon blasted one home run apiece in each game of the day, extending her home run streak to four consecutive contests dating to last Saturday’s matchups against Southern Miss and Nicholls in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sophomore designated player Brooke Klosowicz continued her hot streak with a 4-for-6 day that included four runs scored, four RBI and three extra-base hits, while freshman left fielder Natalie Lieto led the way in the run-scoring department with five tallies to her credit on a 3-for-5 day that included a trio of ribbies. Additional offensive highlights stemmed from junior center fielder Jenna Nelson, who sent her first home run of her collegiate career over the fence in the day’s lid-lifter, while fifth-year first baseman Meagan Ricks went 4-for-7 with four runs and PSU’s first homer of the doubleheader as the leadoff batter against RMU.
In the pitcher’s circle, Penn State called on a five-player platoon to steer the Nittany Lions to a pair of key victories on Friday in Virginia. Senior right-hander Mady Volpe logged a pair of relief appearances on the day, scattering two hits with zero runs allowed across 4.0 innings of work. Volpe, a native of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, secured the winning decision in the victory over Radford and improved to 3-2 in the process while holding both competitors to a miniscule .154 batting average on the day. Sophomore Jiselle Hernandez made her second collegiate pitching appearance in the opener against RMU, tossing 2.0 frames of relief while logging her first collegiate victory and strikeout against the Colonials. Freshman righty Abigail Britton started the contest against the Highlanders and earned the save after re-entering later in the contest, while senior southpaw Lydia Spalding kicked things off against the Colonials. Spalding joined junior left-hander Jillyan Jochims as two of Penn State’s four pitchers in the historic victory over Robert Morris.
Penn State fired the offense up to warp speed in the top half of the first inning against the Colonials, as Ricks took her leadoff at-bat and turned it into an expectation-setting solo shot over the wall in center. A sac fly by Gordon plated a second Nittany Lion, but the Colonials were able to battle back with an RBI single in the home half to make it 2-1 through one. Chamberlin led off the second with a four-pitch walk, and a pair of sacrifice bunts moved her to third base while placing a pair of outs on the scoreboard. Penn State kicked off its two-out scoring rally with a single to right from Ricks, who followed that RBI up with a stolen base and advancement error to reach third herself. Lieto logged an RBI single that sent Ricks in, with the former stealing second moments later. A double down the left field line from Klosowicz plated Lieto, and an additional double by Brunson brought Klosowicz around. After a Colonial pitching change, Gordon stepped up to the dish and smashed a two-run bomb to right center that made it a seven-run affair.
PSU plated a pair in the third thanks to a two-run shot from Nelson and added one more in the fourth on a solo bomb by Klosowicz, but the Colonials were able to answer back with a big inning of their own, making it 11-6 in Penn State’s favor following a five-run frame from RMU. A slew of defensive changes for Robert Morris preceded a leadoff walk for Nelson. Walters followed with a single, and Ricks executed a bunt-for-hit that juiced the bases for the Blue & White. After a fielder’s choice got the force out at home, Klosowicz, Brunson and Gordon went back-to-back-to-back with RBI doubles to plate five runs with a single out on the scoreboard. Coleman pinch hit and drew a four-pitch walk, and a wild pitch saw both runners take an extra base shortly thereafter. Chamberlin delivered a sac fly to left to score Gordon, and after another wild pitch saw Coleman advance to third, Nelson returned for her second plate appearance of the inning to send an RBI single down the right-field line to close the book on a seven-run inning for Penn State and finalize the historic 18-6 differential.
Sights turned to the second game of the day against Radford, where the Highlanders got out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning on the back of a three-run shot from cleanup hitter Rachel Smith. Ricks entered the box to lead off the home half of the first seeking an immediate response, with the veteran delivering a single to right on a 1-0 count to provide a spark for the Blue & White. After taking the first pitch of her at-bat for a strike, Lieto answered back with an emphatic two-run blast to right center that saw PSU regain its momentum and make it a one-run game.
One and a half innings passed quietly until the Blue & White got things rolling again in the third, when Lieto lined a hard-hit single toward the Highlander third baseman and Klosowicz drew a walk to place runners on the right side of the infield. A grounder from Brunson helped push both Nittany Lions 60 feet further, and a two-RBI single from Gordon through the left side of the infield plated both Lieto and Klosowicz to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the afternoon. After another relatively quiet interlude, Gordon delivered a solo shot over the fence in left center to grant PSU a bit of insurance in the bottom of the sixth, closing the book on the 5-3 Penn State victory after Britton steered the Nittany Lion defense through three outs in the seventh.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. ROBERT MORRIS)
Brooke Klosowicz | 3-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR
Maddie Gordon | 2-for-2, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, SF, SB
Meagan Ricks | 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR, SB
Jiselle Hernandez | 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 1K, 36TP, WIN
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. RADFORD)
Maddie Gordon | 2-for-3, R, 3 RBI, HR
Natalie Lieto | 2-for-3, 2R, 2 RBI, HR
Abigail Britton | 4.1 IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 7K, 111TP, START, SAVE
Mady Volpe | 2.2 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 1K, 51TP, WIN
KEY INNINGS (VS. ROBERT MORRIS)
T1 | After working her way to a full count in the first at-bat of the morning’s action, Ricks clobbered the softball deep over the centerfield fence to set the tone early on. Lieto kept the offensive success rolling, drawing a hit-by-pitch, with the rookie promptly advancing to second base on a passed ball moments later. A Nittany Lion groundout put one away, but Brunson drew a walk on four pitches to keep the frame going. PSU executed a double steal to place both runners on the left side of the infield, and a sac fly to right by Gordon plated the second run of the day. PSU 2, RMU 0
B1 | The Colonial offense got started with back-to-back singles as Kaylyn Hopf and Alaina Koutsogiani ended up on the right side of the basepath. An RMU grounder advanced both runners 60 feet further, and a single to left field by Courtney Poulich plated Hopf. PSU 2, RMU 1
T2 | Chamberlin led off the second with a four-pitch walk, and a pair of sacrifice bunts moved her to third base while placing a pair of outs on the scoreboard. Penn State kicked off its two-out scoring rally with a single to right from Ricks, who followed that RBI up with a stolen base and advancement error to reach third herself. Lieto logged an RBI single that sent Ricks in, with the former stealing second moments later. A double down the left field line from Klosowicz plated Lieto, and an additional double by Brunson brought Klosowicz around. After a Colonial pitching change, Gordon stepped up to the dish and smashed a two-run bomb to right center that made it a seven-run affair. PSU 8, RMU 1
T3 | Chamberlin started the inning off with a single to left center, and Nelson stepped up to the plate and lined her first collegiate home run over the wall down the left field line to plate two more tallies for the Nittany Lions. PSU 10, RMU 1
T4 | Klosowicz tacked on one more run for the Blue & White in the top of the fourth, launching a solo shot to left on an 0-1 count. PSU 11, RMU 1
B4 | Katlyn Jardine started things off for Robert Morris in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left center, but a groundout moments later put one away. Mackenzie Hoover mustered a pinch-hit double to first, and a grounder bumped her 60 feet further down the basepath. Back-to-back walks set things up for Sequoia Dunlap, who hit a grand slam to center that took the Colonials temporarily out of run-rule territory. PSU 11, RMU 6
T5 | A slew of defensive changes for RMU preceded Nelson’s leadoff walk that kickstarted a massive fifth frame for the Nittany Lions. Walters followed with a single toward the Colonial shortstop, and Ricks executed a bunt-for-hit that juiced the bases for the Blue & White. After a fielder’s choice got the force out at home, Klosowicz, Brunson and Gordon went back-to-back-to-back with RBI doubles to plate five runs with a single out on the scoreboard. Coleman pinch hit and drew a four-pitch walk, and a wild pitch saw both Gordon and Coleman take an extra base shortly thereafter. Chamberlin delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to score Gordon, and after another wild pitch saw Coleman advance to third Nelson returned for her second plate appearance of the inning to send an RBI single down the right-field line to close the book on a seven-run inning for Penn State. PSU 18, RMU 6
KEY INNINGS (VS. RADFORD)
T1 | With one away, Amanda Lee drew a walk to kickstart an offensive opportunity for the Highlanders. Cassi Barbato kept things going with a single to left center, and cleanup hitter Rachel Smith sent a three-run homer over the fence in right field to give Radford an early edge. RAD 3, PSU 0
B1 | Ricks entered the box to lead off the home half of the first seeking an immediate response, with the veteran delivering a single to right on a 1-0 count to provide a spark for the Blue & White. After taking the first pitch of her at-bat for a strike, Lieto answered back with an emphatic two-run blast to right center that saw PSU regain its momentum. RAD 3, PSU 2
B3 | Following a PSU strikeout to lead off the inning, Lieto lined a hard-hit single toward the Highlander third baseman and Klosowicz drew a walk to place runners on the right side of the infield. A grounder from Brunson helped push both Nittany Lions 60 feet further, and a two-RBI single from Gordon through the left side of the infield plated both Lieto and Klosowicz to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the afternoon. PSU 4, RAD 3
B6 | As the leadoff batter in the home half of the sixth inning, Gordon worked the count to 3-1 and took advantage of the hitter’s count by clobbering a solo shot to left center field to give PSU a two-run edge. PSU 5, RAD 3
UP NEXT
Penn State softball continues its weekend of work in Western Virginia and ushers in a new month of competition on Saturday, March 1, as the Blue & White continue the Hokie Invite from the James I. Moyer Complex in Salem, Virginia. Action begins with a 3 p.m. (ET) start against the James Madison Dukes, and concludes with a 5:30 p.m. (ET) fixture against the 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Both contests will stream live for a subscription fee via MuscoVision, with live stats provided by StatBroadcast. Links to both the live stream and stat feeds are available via the Penn State softball schedule webpage at GoPSUsports.com.
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