URBANA, Ill. – Powered by an offensive performance that shattered multiple single-season program records, the Penn State softball team rolled to a 10-3 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini to close the book on a Big Ten road series sweep from Eichelberger Field on Sunday afternoon.
Penn State’s softball program continues to re-set expectations year-after-year, with the Nittany Lions shattering a pair of single-season offensive records on Sunday after besting the program’s runs scored record in Saturday’s 10-0 shutout of the Fighting Illini. The Nittany Lions are up to 355 runs scored in 2026, surpassing the previous program record of 341 set a season ago. Two additional records set by the 2025 team were improved on by the 2026 roster, with the program-best marks for runs batted in and home runs both falling in Sunday’s matinee. Penn State is up to 315 RBI, needing just one to break a deadlock with last year’s squad heading into the contest. The Blue & White also mashed three homers in the series finale against Illinois, with the second dinger of the game from Hanik going in the book as Penn State’s single-season program record 75th home run of the campaign.
The Blue & White mustered their 32nd win of the 2026 campaign on Sunday, rising to 32-17 overall and 11-10 in Big Ten Conference contests with one league series remaining next weekend against No. 4 Nebraska back in Happy Valley. In defeat, Illinois dropped to 14-36 overall and 3-17 in Big Ten matchups with a midweek against Valparaiso and one league series remaining at Indiana. In the all-time series between the two programs, Penn State extended the longest active win streak in series history to seven consecutive wins, rising to 21-30 overall against Illinois following the 51st matchup.
Penn State’s historic day at the plate was anchored by a trio of multi-hit performances, highlighted by another dominant outing from freshman left fielder Breanna Hanik. The Oak Lawn, Illinois, native finished the weekend hitting 7-for-12 across the three-game B1G series with seven RBI and three home runs, with one homer leaving her bat in each game of the sweep. Hanik was also responsible for a bit of Penn State history in the top of the sixth inning, mashing the program’s single-season record-breaking 75th home run of the year to round out her eye-popping weekend in her home state. Joining Hanik with three hits was junior second baseman Michela Barbanente, who also recorded a trio of knocks in her homecoming to the Land of Lincoln. Barbanente, a native of Itasca, Illinois, was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, double and stolen base to her credit.
Junior shortstop Kaylie Walters rounded out the trio of Nittany Lions on the box score with multiple hits in the game, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored, as well as recording the first extra-base hit of her junior season with a double in the top of the seventh. In total, Penn State mustered six extra-base hits and 13 total knocks in the game, booking double digits in the hit column for the 18th time this season and cracked double digit runs for the 17th time in 2026. The additional pair of home runs came from junior Jordan George and sophomore catcher Macy Chamberlin, who both mustered their first home runs of the weekend series in the finale against the Fighting Illini. All nine Nittany Lion starters reached base at least once in the game, with eight different student-athletes recording at least one hit across the seven innings.
In the circle, Penn State called on junior right-hander Bridget Nemeth to book the start, booking her 16th of the 2026 campaign in her 26th appearance. The Glendora, California, native was effective across her performance, tossing 3.1 innings with a hit, run and earned run going against her in the form of an Illinois solo shot in the bottom of the fourth. Nemeth added a walk and strikeout to her final line, facing 13 batters across 57 total pitches. Freshman righty Mackenzie Duncan threw 1.2 frames in relief, with junior right-hander McKenna Young entering for a one-inning relief appearance moments later. Young earned credit for the win as PSU’s most effective reliever, allowing a hit and a walk across five batters faced and 23 offerings. Sophomore righty Abigail Britton entered for the final three outs, facing four batters across 14 total pitches while keeping the board clean.
With an early strikeout on the board in the top of the first inning, Hanik smacked an infield single toward the Fighting Illini shortstop and advanced to second base on a productive groundout from Oneacre. In the next at-bat, Klosowicz stepped into the batter’s box and popped a bloop single into center field, plating Hanik for the program’s single-season record-setting 307th RBI of the 2026 campaign. Nemeth and the Nittany Lion defense limited Illinois to a one-two-three inning in the home half of the second, and held the Fighting Illini offense to a walk in the bottom of the third to pave the way for a historic visitor’s half of the fourth inning moments later.
Chamberlin led things off reached first following a fielding error by the Illinois shortstop, with Karwowski entering to run for her at first. Gradishar sent the second pitch of her at-bat to center for a single and Karwowski trotted to third base. Gradishar proceeded to steal second base, and a wild pitch walk drawn by Lieto saw both baserunners on the left side of the infield advance 60 feet, with Penn State scratching the second run of the game across. Lieto stole second from there to make it a pair of runners in scoring position with zero outs, but a grounder put one away. A high-flying double down the right field line from Barbanente plated Gradishar and moved Lieto to third just before Illinois executed a pitching change. PSU pinch-hit George at the top of the order, and the Nittany Lion did not disappoint, clobbering a three-run homer over the fence in left to make it a six-run affair.
Illinois responded with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but the Nittany Lions were able to answer right back with a powerful sixth inning that helped ice the game. Barbanente led the top of the sixth off with a single through the left side of the infield that took an odd hop in front of the Illinois shortstop. Walters slapped another single through the left side of the infield moments later, and Hanik crushed her third hit of the game and third home run of the weekend over the wall in left field to make it an eight-run lead, shattering the Nittany Lion single-season team home run record in the process. Oneacre drew a walk, but a double play put two outs on the board in quick succession. From there, Chamberlin skied a solo home run over the fence in left-center to give Penn State a nine-run advantage. Illinois mustered two more runs in the home half of the sixth but were ultimately unable to overcome the Nittany Lion onslaught as Penn State took the series finale by a 10-3 score.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Breanna Hanik | 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR
Michela Barbanente | 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB
McKenna Young | 1.0IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K, 5BF, 23TP
KEY INNINGS
T1 | With an early strikeout on the board, Hanik smacked an infield single toward the Fighting Illini shortstop and advanced to second base on a productive groundout from Oneacre. In the next at-bat, Klosowicz stepped into the batter’s box and popped a bloop single into center field, plating Hanik for the program’s single-season record-setting 307th RBI of the 2026 campaign. PSU 1, ILL 0
T4 | Chamberlin led off the top of the fourth inning and reached first following a fielding error by the Illinois shortstop, with Karwowski entering to run for her at first. Gradishar sent the second pitch of her at-bat to center for a single and Karwowski trotted to third base. Gradishar proceeded to steal second base, and a wild pitch walk drawn by Lieto saw both baserunners on the left side of the infield advance 60 feet, with Penn State scratching the second run of the game across. Lieto stole second from there to make it a pair of runners in scoring position with zero outs, but a grounder put one away. A high-flying double down the right field line from Barbanente plated Gradishar and moved Lieto to third just before Illinois executed a pitching change. PSU pinch-hit George at the top of the order, and the Nittany Lion did not disappoint, clobbering a three-run homer over the fence in left to make it a six-run affair. PSU 6, ILL 0
B4 | Eileen Donahue led off the bottom of the fourth inning and mustered a solo home run in a 1-1 count to cut Penn State’s advantage down to five. PSU 6, ILL 1
T6 | Barbanente led the top of the sixth off with a single through the left side of the infield that took an odd hop in front of the Illinois shortstop. Walters slapped another single through the left side of the infield moments later, and Hanik crushed her third hit of the game and third home run of the weekend over the wall in left field to make it an eight-run lead, shattering the Nittany Lion single-season team home run record in the process. Oneacre drew a walk, but a double play put two outs on the board in quick succession. From there, Chamberlin skied a solo home run over the fence in left-center to give Penn State a nine-run advantage. PSU 10, ILL 1
B6 | Ellie Haggard led the home half of the sixth off with a single to left, and Fae Cornish entered to pinch run for her at first base. Keirys Click stepped up next and smacked a double to left-center, advancing to third on the throw while Cornish came all the way home. From there, Gabrielle Debevec sent a single down the right field line to close the scoring out in Penn State’s dominant 10-3 win. PSU 10, ILL 3
UP NEXT
Penn State softball wraps up its 2026 regular season with a three-game Big Ten Conference series against the fourth-ranked and league leading Nebraska Cornhuskers next Friday through Sunday, May 1 through 3. All three games from Nittany Lion Softball Park & Beard Field are slated to stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+, with additional access available on the B1G+ app on connected devices.
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.