KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Highlighted by the 16th no-hitter in Penn State softball history from junior right-handed pitcher McKenna Young, the Nittany Lions closed the Tennessee Invitational with a 14-0 result over the N.C. Central Eagles in five innings of play on Sunday from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Young, a native of Brodhead, Wisconsin, turned in the most dominant individual performance of her collegiate career on Sunday in the Smoky Mountains, mustering her first no-hitter at the collegiate level in addition to the 16th-such performance in Penn State softball program history. Young faced the minimum 15 batters across her 5.0 innings pitched, falling a passed ball short of a perfect game. The first-year Nittany Lion and third-year collegian allowed zeroes in the hit, run, earned run and walk columns, struck out five batters and tossed 58 total pitches in the complete-game shutout victory. Young threw the first no-hitter by a Penn Stater since February 18, 2023, a 3-0 shutout in seven innings of play against Bethune-Cookman. The performance marked the third no-hitter of the Clarisa Crowell era in addition to just the third no-hitter by any Nittany Lion since 2008.
Powered by Young’s dominant showing in the circle, and yet another offensive firestorm, the Blue & White picked up their third win of the Tennessee Invitational and finished the event 3-2 overall with a pair of narrow defeats to the top-ranked Lady Volunteers on Friday and Saturday. Penn State improved to 16-4 overall through its first 20 opportunities of the season and will look to carry its hot start into another competitive field at the Hokie Invite next Friday and Saturday in Virginia. In defeat, NCCU dropped to 1-17 overall and fell to 0-2 against Penn State following the second all-time meeting on Sunday.
The Nittany Lion offense roared in the weekend finale, scoring 14 runs on 14 hits against the Eagles. The Blue & White were anchored by multi-hit performances from four student-athletes, highlighted by a career-high-tying three-hit day from sophomore center fielder Natalie Lieto. The Monroe, Connecticut, native finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored, trio of RBI, and two extra-base hits in the form of a double and home run. Junior designated player Brooke Klosowicz notched the only other home run on the day for the Nittany Lions, bashing her seventh of the year to finish the day 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Additional multi-hit performances came from freshman third baseman Allison Oneacre, graduate left fielder and junior shortstop Kaylie Walters, with each of those players finishing with two hits apiece.
Penn State started fast in its weekend finale from Knoxville, with the Blue & White utilizing a Oneacre one-out single and a two-run blast from Klosowicz to make it a 2-0 score in the early going. The Nittany Lions managed to tack on an additional run before the end of the half-inning to make it 3-0, and Young worked a one-two-three frame in the circle to keep it a three-run game through one. Defensive miscues from the Eagles and dominant offensive production resulted in a seven-run top of the second for the Blue & White, and the Nittany Lions managed to coast defensively behind Young through another spotless half to make it a 10-0 affair through two. The Blue & White tacked on three more scores in the top of the third and followed that up with a one-run top of the fourth to close the scoring out in Sunday’s contest. Young headed back out in the bottom of the fifth, and PSU’s defense helped her retire the side to close out the dominant 14-0 showing behind Young’s first-ever no-hit shutout.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
McKenna Young | 5.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 5K, 15BF, 58TP, CG, WIN, SHO, NO-HITTER
Natalie Lieto | 3-for-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR
Brooke Klosowicz | 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
KEY INNINGS
T1 | With a popout on the board, Oneacre laced a single through the left side of the infield, and Klosowicz brought her around with a bomb over the fence in center field. A Finarelli walk kept the inning rolling, but another popup put two away. NCCU had a miscue in an attempt to get the ball back to the circle, allowing Finarelli to take 60 more feet moments later. From there, Gradishar lifted a double to left field to bring a third Nittany Lion run in. PSU 3, NCCU 0
T2 | After swinging and missing on the first pitch of her at-bat, Lieto tattooed a solo shot straight out of Sherri Parker Lee Stadium just over the left-center fence. Walters laid down a bunt single and stole second, ultimately scoring via a pair of errors before a fly ball put an out on the board. Oneacre singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, prompting an NCCU pitching change. Klosowicz drew a walk, and Finarelli drilled a double to left that brought Oneacre around and moved Klosowicz over to third. Chamberlin sent a two-RBI single to right that plated two more runs, and a productive groundout from Gradishar bumped the runner over. Bohner sent a single to center and advanced on the throw that failed to get Chamberlin, leaving runners on the left side of the infield. A double to the left-center gap from Lieto plated two more runs in her second at-bat of the inning, giving Penn State the 10-run edge through one and a half. PSU 10, NCCU 0
T3 | Jochims entered the game to pinch hit and drew a leadoff walk, but a flyout put one away. Jochims proceeded to steal second base, and a grounder from Klosowicz helped advance the runner 60 more feet while putting a second out on the board. Nemeth entered the game to pinch hit and recorded an RBI double down the left field line, bringing PSU’s 11th run of the game in. Finarelli re-entered to run at second, and consecutive walks juiced the bases. An RBI single from Bohner plated one run, and PSU managed to tack another score on at the end of the play after catching the Eagles in a rundown situation, with Chamberlin completing the journey home to make it 13-0. PSU 13, NCCU 0
T4 | Back-to-back singles from Lieto and Walters placed runners on the right side, and a wild pitch saw both Nittany Lions take 60 more feet. NCCU made it runners on the corners following a fielder’s choice that saw Lieto put out at home, but an RBI grounder from Oneacre plated Penn State’s 14th and final run of the ballgame. PSU 14, NCCU 0
UP NEXT
Penn State softball gets set for its fifth-straight week of non-conference road tournament competition, as the Blue & White prepare to participate in the Hokie Invite for the second year in a row this Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7. The Nittany Lions travel to the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia, to battle the Radford Highlanders, Boston College Eagles, James Madison Dukes and No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies over the team’s two-day visit to the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.
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The 2026 Penn State softball season is presented by Highmark.