Penn State softball (3-2) kicked off its season with three wins in the Felsberg Invitational this weekend. Strong team-wide performances fueled the fire and helped the Nittany Lions get off to a winning start to begin the season.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall picked up right where she left off from last season while new contributors such as Kaitlyn Morrison and Michelle Leone and junior transfer Logan Black made immediate impacts as the weekend progressed.

Game One vs. UC Berkeley

The Nittany Lions got their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, winning 3-2 on a walk-off double by freshman shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison. She finished the game with two hits, two RBIs, and a run. Freshman second baseman L.A. Matthews also had a great debut with two hits and scored a run as well.

Redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg impressed in her first game back from injury. She finished the game with two hits and an RBI as well.

Parshall stepped into the circle and pitched a complete game to pick up her first win of the season. She also had four strikeouts and gave up just one earned run.

Game Two vs. FIU

In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Nittany Lions took another close game to the last inning, scoring two runs. They were able to pull out a narrow 4-2 victory.

Matthews continued her hot start to the season with two more hits and another RBI adding to her early-season total. Freshman third baseman Michelle Leone also had a great game with three base-knocks and an RBI in the top of the seventh. Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Bisi got her first hit and RBI of the season on a sac fly to take the lead in the seventh inning.

Freshman Vanessa Oatley got the start in the circle for game two of the doubleheader. She gave up five hits and two runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Sophomore Kylee Lingenfelter came in to relieve her and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings. She ended up getting the win, as sophomore Parshall came in to pitch a hitless seventh inning to earn the save.

Game Three vs. Syracuse

Although they got off to a very quick start, the Nittany Lions fell 5-4 in extra innings against the Orange. This was the third straight game where the game was decided in the last inning.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall had a strong outing early on, holding the Orange hitless for the first couple of innings. She finished with 5.1 innings pitched and seven strikeouts. Kylee Lingenfelter entered the circle in the sixth inning to replace Parshall but wound up walking three batters, two of which occurred while the bases were loaded. Oatley took the ball from her after the third walk and was responsible for the run that lost the game.

Fey had a breakout game with a two-RBI triple to score Penn State’s first runs of the game. Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Bisi and sophomore catcher Ally Kurland also recorded RBIs to add to the Nittany Lions’ score. The offense stalled after the third inning, however, and did not score another run after.

Game Four Vs. Michigan State

After a heartbreaking start to the doubleheader, the Nittany Lions responded with a mercy-rule effort against their fellow Big Ten opponent. Although it won’t count in the Big Ten standings, Penn State beat down the Spartans 11-0 in five innings.

Many hitters contributed to the scoring onslaught. Sophomore Claire Swedberg had two hits and a run, while sophomore catcher Ally Kurland had two hits and two RBIs. Redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg had two hits and three RBIs as she led the offensive output. Freshmen Maggie Finnegan had her first collegiate hit as well as pinch hitter later in the game.

In the circle, junior pitcher Logan Black had an absolutely dominating performance. She gave up one hit in five innings pitched and struck out two along the way. The transfer from Creighton made a big impact on a team that lacked pitching depth last year and has already proven to be an important asset to the Nittany Lions.

Game Five Vs. UC Berkeley

In the last game of the Felsberg Invitational, Cal got their revenge on the Nittany Lions, winning 3-1. The offense stalled out all game long, as no one was able to get an RBI. The only run that Penn State scored was off of an error.

Black, who pitched a one-hitter the other day, struggled through 1.2 innings. She gave up three runs and didn’t strike anyone out. Oatley and Parshall both came on to pitch afterward and gave up zero runs for the rest of the game.

Just three hitters were able to pick up a hit against Cal. Leone recorded two hits and scored the only run of the game for the Nittany Lions, while Kurland continued her hitting streak and picked up a hit.

Takeaways

• Coach Amanda Lehotak’s heavy use of freshmen last season has already carried into this season and has been an essential part of the team’s early-season success. Morrison and Matthews played big roles in their wins, while Oatley has shown promise in her pitching outings. Still, there’s ample room for improvement.
• So far, last year’s leaders aren’t performing as well as expected. Melina Livingston and Chelsea Bisi have not played like they did last season. If they intend on making a run in the Big Ten, they have to perform at a much higher level than they did during the first tournament of the year.
• This is a great start for a team that went 1-4 last year in its tournament of the season. A 3-2 record is an impressive way to begin a season, and it shows what the future could be if the Nittany Lions keep grinding. Expect a lot of good things from this team if it can continue this level of play.

What’s Next?

Penn State softball will be back in Florida for the UCF Knights Classic. The Nittany Lions will play Pennsylvania rival Villanova at 11:30 a.m on Friday, February 14.