ORLANDO, Fla. – Anchored by a combined shutout in the circle from junior right-handed pitcher Bridget Nemeth and freshman southpaw Brevyn Kellepouris, the Penn State softball team rolled to a 7-0 win over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Sunday from the UCF Softball Complex.
Penn State closed the book on an all-around dominant five-game tournament weekend, with the Nittany Lions securing their first 5-0 weekend of performances since going unbeaten at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida, to open the 2024 season. The Blue & White improved to 13-2 overall through their first 15 opportunities on the season, tying for the second-best start to a season in that span in school history. The Nittany Lions also mustered their ninth consecutive win, marking the longest win streak for PSU since rattling off nine in a row from March 14-26, 2024. The Buccaneers dropped to 3-11 overall on the year and suffered their second loss to Penn State in as many meetings, with PSU booking both wins this weekend.
The Nittany Lions were powered by a dominant showing in the circle from Nemeth and Kellepouris, who combined for a one-hit shutout with three strikeout and a single walk surrendered. Nemeth started and earned the winning decision on Sunday, rising to 3-1 through the early going in her junior season. The Glendora, California, native threw 5.0 innings and allowed one hit with zeroes in the run and earned run columns, walking one and striking out three. Kellepouris entered for 2.0 innings of relief and faced one batter more than the minimum, closing things out for Penn State’s second shutout of 2026. Behind the pair of pitchers, Penn State played an error-free game for the eighth time and improved to 7-1 overall when accomplishing that feat.
PSU saw seven hitters combine for eight hits in the dominant Sunday showing, with freshman designated player Gabby Gradishar mustering a multi-hit outing in her first start as a collegian. The Champion, Ohio, native went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double and a walk, booking multiple-hit games in consecutive matchups at the SpaceU Classic. Freshman second baseman Allison Oneacre went 1-for-3 with a trio of RBI, junior left fielder Michela Barbanente went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI, and sophomore center fielder Natalie Lieto booked a 1-for-4 day at the plate with two runs scored to highlight the Blue & White bats.
Sunday’s getaway game started out as a pitcher’s duel, with both starters working their way through a scoreless one and a half innings. The Blue & White managed to scratch across one run in the home half of the second inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Bohner, but the next two frames passed without another run on the board, culminating in a one-run Nittany Lion lead through three and a half innings. Penn State called on Nemeth to provide a spark on the defensive end, allowing a single baserunner to reach through the early going while the Nittany Lion bats worked into a rhythm.
Penn State broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, as a miscue from the Buccaneers saw Bohner safely reach first base, and Walters executed a sacrifice bunt to bump her over to second. Lieto sent the first pitch of her at-bat to right center for a single to give PSU runners on the corners, and Oneacre powered a double off the fence in left center to put two more runs on the board. Klosowicz mustered an infield single, but Oneacre was thrown out in her attempt to score, allowing Klosowicz to advance to second. Barbanente sent an RBI single to left, plating Klosowicz and allowing her to reach second on the throw, ultimately advancing to third following a wild pitch. Finarelli drew a walk to keep the inning going, and an RBI double from Gradishar saw Barbanente complete the journey home. Penn State tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-0 lead, and Kellepouris entered the pitcher’s circle for the next two frames to close out Penn State’s fifth win of the weekend in addition to the program’s ninth victory in a row.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Allison Oneacre | 1-for-3, 3 RBI, 2B, SF
Gabby Gradishar | 2-for-3, RBI, 2B, BB
Bridget Nemeth | 5.0IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K, 17BF, 59TP, WIN
Brevyn Kellepouris | 2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K, 7BF, 19TP
KEY INNINGS
B2 | Three-straight walks saw Finarelli, Gradishar and Seidel load the bases, and Bohner lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Finarelli aboard for the opening score. PSU 1, CSU 0
B4 | A miscue from the Buccaneers saw Bohner safely reach first base, and Walters executed a sacrifice bunt to bump her over to second. Lieto sent the first pitch of her at-bat to right center for a single to give PSU runners on the corners, and Oneacre powered a double off the fence in left center to put two more runs on the board. Klosowicz mustered an infield single, but Oneacre was thrown out in her attempt to score, allowing Klosowicz to advance to second. Barbanente sent an RBI single to left, plating Klosowicz and allowing her to reach second on the throw, ultimately advancing to third following a wild pitch. Finarelli drew a walk to keep the inning going, and an RBI double from Gradishar saw Barbanente complete the journey home. PSU 5, CSU 0
B5 | Bohner led the home half of the fifth off with a single through the right side of the infield, and Karwowski entered to run for her at first base. Walters put an infield single in play, leading to runners on the right side of the infield. A wild pitch saw both Nittany Lions advance, and Lieto reached via a fielder’s choice that saw the lead runner put out at home. Penn State perfectly executed a double steal moments later to plate one run and place another runner on third, and a sac-fly to right by Oneacre made it a seven-run affair. PSU 7, CSU 0
UP NEXT
Penn State softball prepares for its fourth and final weekend of season-opening travel next Friday through Sunday, February 27 through March 1, as the Blue & White travel to face off with three opponents in five games at the Tennessee Invitational from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. PSU will play a pair of games each against the No. 1 Tennessee Lady Volunteers and N.C. Central Eagles, in addition to a single matchup with the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Both games against Tennessee will stream live via SEC Network+ and the ESPN app, with the remaining three contests to feature live updates via the Penn State softball social media channels.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
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.
The 2026 Penn State softball season is presented by Highmark.