SALEM, Va. – The Penn State softball team dropped a pair of decisions on the final day of the Hokie Invite on Saturday, with the Nittany Lions falling by a 5-3 score to the James Madison Dukes before losing a 7-6 contest to the 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies from the James I. Moyer Sports Complex.
Sophomore center fielder Natalie Lieto was impressive across both halves of the doubleheader, leading the Nittany Lions with a trio of hits in an unblemished 3-for-3 performance against James Madison, followed by a 1-for-4 showing in the nightcap. The Monroe, Connecticut, native finished with three runs scored on the day, adding a trio of extra-base hits with two doubles and a home run in addition to a pair of RBI. Junior designated player Brooke Klosowicz hit 3-for-8 across both games with two runs scored, a double and an RBI to her credit, while sophomore catcher Macy Chamberlin rounded out PSU’s trio of headline performers on the day with a 1-for-3 showing that included two runs scored, a two-run bomb and two walks to rack up a .600 on-base percentage for the day. In the circle, Penn State utilized all five pitchers on the day, with sophomore right-hander Abigail Britton and freshman righty Mackenzie Duncan being saddled for the pair of Nittany Lion losses.
The Nittany Lions started fast in the top of the first inning against the Dukes, with a hit-by-pitch followed by an RBI double from Lieto putting the Blue & White ahead in the early going. JMU tied the game in the top of the second, but a solo blast from Lieto gave Penn State a one-run advantage once again in the home half of the third inning. James Madison plated two more scores to take their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth at 3-2 and extended their advantage to two runs with a solo shot in the top of the sixth. Another tally popped on the board for JMU in the visitor’s half of the seventh to make it a 5-2 affair, but the Blue & White attempted a late rally in the home half. A double from Lieto down the line put a Nittany Lion in scoring position, and Oneacre singled to bring her aboard, but PSU was unable to plate another score en route to the 5-3 result.
PSU jumped on 11th-ranked Virginia Tech right out of the gates in game two, capitalizing on an RBI single from Oneacre and a pair of bases-loaded walks to run up an early 3-0 advantage. The Hokies wasted little time getting right back into the game with a three-run home half, but a two-run blast to right field from Chamberlin in the top of the second inning made it a 5-3 ballgame in the Nittany Lions’ favor. Things remained quiet on both sides until the home half of the fourth inning, when the Hokies blasted a pair of solo home runs to tie things up at five-all. PSU took the lead for the final time in the top of the fifth inning with an unearned tally on a Hokie fielding error, but Virginia Tech managed to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth and ultimately close the scoring out in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of additional solo home runs. Virginia Tech took Saturday’s back-and-forth affair by a 7-6 final score.
Penn State dropped to 18-6 overall on the 2026 season and will look to return to the win column next week as the Blue & White travel to the Pacific Northwest for a midweek matchup with the Oregon State Beavers and a Big Ten Conference weekend series with the nationally-ranked Oregon Ducks. James Madison improved to 11-10 overall following a pair of wins on Saturday, while the 11th-ranked Hokies improved to 19-2 with an additional contest against Radford following the test against PSU. In the all-time series between the teams, PSU moved to 2-5 against the Dukes while falling to 3-5 against the Hokies.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. JAMES MADISON)
Natalie Lieto | 3-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, HR, BB
Allison Oneacre | 1-for-3, RBI, BB
KEY INNINGS (VS. JAMES MADISON)
B1 | Walters was struck by a JMU offering to take a free pass, and Lieto blasted a double to right center to bring the Nittany Lion runner all the way around. PSU 1, JMU 0
T2 | Bella Henzler led the top of the second inning off with a pulled solo shot over the fence in left field to tie the game. PSU 1, JMU 1
B3 | After taking a pair of pitches to work a 2-0 count, Lieto belted the third offering of her at-bat over the fence in center to give the Blue & White a lead. PSU 2, JMU 1
T4 | Back-to-back singles from Emily LeGrand and Henzler put runners on the right side, and Payton List sent a single to right that would have left the bases loaded if not for a throwing error that allowed all runners to take 60 more feet. A strikeout put one away, but a sac fly in the next at-bat plated another run to put the Dukes out in front. JMU 3, PSU 2
T6 | With two outs on the board, Kira Ortega sent a solo shot over the fence in left center. JMU 4, PSU 2
T7 | Cali Legzdin reached via a Nittany Lion fielding error and Kylee Gleason singled to center to put runners on the right side. A sac bunt moved both runners over, and a strikeout put two away, but a single to left from Henzler plated JMU’s fifth run of the afternoon.JMU 5, PSU 2
B7 | With one away, Lieto smacked a double down the left field line, and Oneacre sent a single to left center to bring her around to make it a two-run game. JMU 5, PSU 3
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS (VS. VIRGINIA TECH)
Brooke Klosowicz | 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B
Macy Chamberlin | 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB
KEY INNINGS (VS. VIRGINIA TECH)
T1 | With a strikeout on the board, Lieto smacked a single to left field. Klosowicz entered the box and zipped a double off the wall in left, advancing to third as Lieto came around to score. A pair of walks bookended a Nittany Lion strikeout, leaving the bases loaded with two away. Consecutive RBI walks from Gradishar and Seidel resulted in two more runs coming in to give the Blue & White an early 3-0 advantage. PSU 3, VT 0
B1 | Michelle Chatfield led the inning off with a double to right-center, and Kylie Aldridge followed that up with a double to the same spot to plate a run. A flyout and strikeout put two away, but a two-run blast to left-center from Jordan Lynch tied the game at three-all. PSU 3, VT 3
T2 | With two outs on the board, Klosowicz singled down the left field line and Chamberlin sent a two-run blast opposite-field over the fence in right to give the Nittany Lions a two-run advantage. PSU 5, VT 3
B4 | Solo home runs from Addison Foster and Rachel Castine saw the Hokies bring things to a 5-5 deadlock. PSU 5, VT 5
T5 | Bohner drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch with one out on the scoreboard, and a walk from Oneacre put runners on the right side. A strikeout put two away, but Klosowicz put a ball in play that saw VT commit a fielding error, allowing Bohner the requisite time to come in and score. PSU 6, VT 5
B5 | Zoe Yaeger hit a one-out solo home run over the fence in left to tie the game yet again. PSU 6, VT 6
B6 | Castine hit what proved to be the game-winning home run over the fence in left. VT 7, PSU 6
UP NEXT
Penn State softball prepares for its sixth consecutive week of road action and kicks off its spring break trip to the Pacific Northwest this Wednesday, March 11, as the Nittany Lions travel to Corvallis, Oregon, and Kelly Field for a midweek matchup with the Oregon State Beavers. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), 5 p.m. (PT), with live streaming available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via ESPN+ and the ESPN app on connected devices.
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The 2026 Penn State softball season is presented by Highmark.