KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Penn State softball split a pair of matchups at the Tennessee Invitational on Saturday, with the Blue & White moving to 2-2 overall at the event following a 10-5 win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers and a 3-1 defeat to the No. 1 Tennessee Lady Volunteers from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Following its Saturday twin-bill in the Smoky Mountains, Penn State moved to 15-4 overall and will look to close out its weekend at the Tennessee Invitational on Sunday morning with a getaway game against the N.C. Central Eagles. Top-ranked Tennessee improved to 17-0 following its second consecutive win over the Blue & White, while App State moved to 13-4 overall with one game remaining in Knoxville against the Lady Vols on Sunday. In the all-time series with UT, Penn State drops to 0-3, while the Nittany Lions improved to 3-0 against the Mountaineers following Saturday’s action.
Penn State was led on the day once again by freshman third baseman Allison Oneacre, who turned in a trio of hits across both halves of the doubleheader. The Alpharetta, Georgia, native went 2-for-3 with a double and home run against App State and followed that up with a tattooed single off the wall against the top-ranked Lady Vols in the nightcap. Oneacre was joined by junior designated player Brooke Klosowicz in the multi-hit column in the lid-lifting game against App State, with the Johnsburg, Illinois, native going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and RBI to her credit against the Mountaineers. PSU added a trio of additional extra-base knocks on the day, with freshman first baseman Kirsten Finarelli blasting a homer, and a pair of doubles coming from sophomore center fielder Natalie Lieto and freshman left fielder Breanna Hanik. Against UT, PSU saw a trio of players work their way onto the box score, with Hanik logging an RBI single in addition to base hits from Oneacre and Seidel.
The Blue & White called on all five of their primary pitchers to produce Saturday’s results in Knoxville, with junior right-handed pitcher Bridget Nemeth highlighting the day with a powerful start against the nation’s top ranked team in game two of the day. The Glendora, California, native threw all but one out in the contest, amassing 5.2 innings pitched, scattering five hits, walking a pair of batters and striking out three while yielding just two earned runs. Nemeth threw her most innings pitched in a single game since her rookie campaign in 2024, being saddled with the loss despite the impressive individual outing. In the App State game, freshman righty Mackenzie Duncan threw 2.2 innings, junior righty McKenna Young tossed 1.1 in relief and earned credit for the win, sophomore right-hander Abigail Britton tossed a pair of scoreless frames, and freshman southpaw Brevyn Kellepouris closed both of Saturday’s games out in the circle.
Saturday’s opener featured a strikeout and inning-ending double play against the Mountaineers, with junior second baseman Michela Barbanente logging a leadoff single to set up Oneacre for a two-run shot in the home half of the first to give Penn State an early 2-0 advantage. The Nittany Lions remained in control until App State surged ahead by a 4-2 margin in the top of the third, but PSU chipped away at the deficit with a solo shot from Klosowicz in the home half. The Nittany Lions capitalized on pitching and defensive miscues by the Mountaineers in the bottom of the fourth, lurching ahead by a 9-4 margin through four innings of play. App State attempted a rally late with a fifth-inning RBI double, but Penn State answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to finalize the 10-5 result.
Game two got underway shortly thereafter, with the Blue & White surrendering an RBI hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first inning and a two-run frame in the second to face a three-run deficit early on. PSU saw a pair of runners reach via walks in the first four innings of play, but the Nittany Lions were unable to get a scoring rally started until the top of the fifth rolled around. Seidel led the top of the fifth inning off with a competitive infield single, and Karwowski entered to pinch run for her at first base. Bohner netted a productive groundout that saw Karwowski take 60 more feet, and Hanik zipped an RBI single through the left side of the infield to bring a Nittany Lion run aboard. Penn State attempted to tie things up in the top of the seventh inning, but the Lady Vols were able to close the 3-1 result out in regulation.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. APPALACHIAN STATE)
Allison Oneacre | 2-for-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, SF
Brooke Klosowicz | 2-for-4, R, RBI, 2B, HR
McKenna Young | 1.1IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1K, 6BF, 28TP, WIN
KEY INNINGS (VS. APPALACHIAN STATE)
B1 | Barbanente led the home half of the first inning off by working a 1-2 count and pelting a single over the shortstop’s glove to give PSU an early baserunner. From there, Oneacre stepped into the box and battled to a 2-2 count on five pitches before ripping an opposite-field home run just over the fence in right-center to give Penn State a two-run edge. PSU 2, APP 0
T3 | Emilie Ching lifted a solo shot to center on a 1-0 count to open the inning. PSU worked a pair of outs on the board, but a throwing error by the Nittany Lions kept the frame alive for App State, with Julia Girk reaching second on the play. Makayla McClain sent an RBI single through the left side of the infield to tie the game, and Grace Barrett singled and advanced on the throw to place runners on the left side of the infield. PSU made a change in the circle, but Taylor Schaefer had a two-RBI single that gave the Mountaineers the lead. APP 4, PSU 2
B3 | With two outs on the board, Klosowicz entered the box and worked a 1-2 count before blasting the pitcher’s fifth offering over the wall in left field to bring PSU back within one. APP 4, PSU 3
B4 | After taking the first pitch of her at-bat for a ball, Finarelli crushed her fifth home run of the season over the fence in left center to deadlock the game at four. App State made a pitching change immediately thereafter, and PSU loaded the bases with a pair of free passes and a single. Gradishar pinch hit for Walters and drew an RBI walk to put PSU in front, with Walters re-entering to run at first with the bases juiced. Barbanente put a ball in play during the next at-bat that wreaked havoc on the Mountaineer infield, with a throwing error on the App State first baseman culminating in three runs scoring with Barbanente moving to third. From there, Oneacre lifted the first pitch of her at-bat to center field to bring another tally aboard via a sacrifice fly. PSU 9, APP 4
T5 | With a flyout on the board, McClain singled through the left side of the infield and moved to second via a passed ball. Barrett worked the count full and found a way to send a double to the left-center gap to bring McClain aboard. PSU 9, APP 5
B5 | One out popped on the board early, but Lieto sent a double to shallow right field to give the Nittany Lions life in the inning. Another flyout put two down, but Hanik doubled to left center to bring another score aboard for the Blue & White in the fifth. PSU 10, APP 5
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (AT TENNESSEE)
Breanna Hanik | 1-for-2, 1B, RBI, BB
Allison Oneacre | 1-for-3, 1B
Bridget Nemeth | 5.2IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K, 27BF, 113TP
KEY INNINGS (AT TENNESSEE)
B1 | Sophia Knight mustered an infield single, and a bunt single from Gabby Leach put runners on the right side. Tennessee executed a sac bunt to move the runners, but a walk moments later loaded the bases. PSU got out number two with a fielder’s choice and putout at home, but a hit-by-pitch saw UT tack on the game’s opening tally. TENN 1, PSU 0
B2 | With one out on the board, Bella Faw drew a hit-by-pitch and Knight singled to bump Faw over to third, with the former advancing to second on the throw. Leach put a ball in play and reached via fielder’s choice, advancing to second on a throw. During the play, Faw came around to score, and Knight was credited as a run scored as well after an obstruction call was granted following a Tennessee challenge. TENN 3, PSU 0
T5 | Seidel led the top of the fifth inning off with a competitive infield single, and Karwowski entered to pinch run for her at first base. Bohner netted a productive groundout that saw Karwowski take 60 more feet, and Hanik zipped an RBI single through the left side of the infield to bring a Nittany Lion run aboard. TENN 3, PSU 1
UP NEXT
Penn State softball concludes its three-day stay in the Smoky Mountains on Sunday, March 1, as the Nittany Lions prepare for their finale from the Tennessee Invitational at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. PSU will square off in a rematch against the N.C. Central Eagles, with first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m. (ET). Fans can follow along with live updates of Penn State’s weekend finale against NCCU on PSU softball’s social media channels, with live stats available via StatBroadcast.
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The 2026 Penn State softball season is presented by Highmark.