Penn State softball (5-5) struggled in its second tournament of the year, going 2-3 at the UCF Knights Classic. There were some standout performances in the second day of play, particularly from the pitchers in the circle. However, poor performances on days one and three made it difficult for the Nittany Lions to leave Florida with a winning record.

Game One Vs. Villanova

The Nittany Lions ended up losing a tight one in the first game of the tournament, as Villanova won 3-2. This was the first game of the Friday doubleheader.

Sophomore outfielder Melina Livingston and freshmen infielder Kaitlyn Morrison hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the third, which ended up being the only runs scored for Penn State. Morrison did finish the game with three hits, however.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall entered the circle for the start, and ended up going four innings, striking out nine and giving up two runs. Freshmen Vanessa Oatley came in to relieve her, however she ended up giving up the game winning run in the fifth. Because of that run, Oatley earned her second loss of the season.

Game Two Vs. Florida Atlantic

The second game of the doubleheader was not a great game for the Nittany Lions, as Florida Atlantic won 4-1. The offense finished the game with only four hits, one more than FAU’s three hits. However, the three errors committed by the Nittany Lions put the result over the top.

Freshmen third baseman Michelle Leone had two hits and the lone RBI for a Penn State offense that couldn’t get any runs across. Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Bisi and sophomore catcher Ally Kurland each had a hit as well, but that was it.

Senior pitcher Hannah Shields made her season debut in the circle in the second game of the doubleheader. She went three innings, striking out two and only giving up one run. Sophomore Kylee Lingenfelter came in as a relief pitcher, going 2.1 innings, striking out three and giving up two runs. She ended up recording her first loss of the season, as the runs given up were too much to overcome.

Game Three Vs. Florida Atlantic

The Nittany Lions got back in the win column Saturday morning as they got revenge on Florida Atlantic 3-0. This was game one of the second doubleheader of the weekend.

Freshmen pitcher Vanessa Oatley stepped into the circle and won her first game of her college career. She pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and striking out four batters. It was her best performance of the season so far, as she continues to become one of Coach Lehotak’s go-to pitchers.

On the offensive side, sophomore outfielder Melina Livingston led the way with two hits and a run. Senior first baseman Destiny Weber hit her first home run of the season in the sixth inning, while earlier in the game sophomore outfielder Chelsea Bisi and redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg brought in a run respectively.

Game Four Vs. Iowa State

In game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Nittany Lions got a solid win against Iowa State 3-1. The win gave Penn State a winning record as they head into the final day of the tournament.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall dominated the game today. She joined Oatley in throwing a complete game, striking out a season high 13 batters and giving up four hits. Parshall’s performance has solidified herself as the ace of the staff, and her undefeated record so far has been a vast improvement from last season.

Redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg hit her first home run of the season to jumpstart the Nittany Lions’ offense. Freshmen infielder Kaitlyn Morrison had a great day as well, getting three hits and one RBI. The only other player to get a hit was freshman outfielder Maggie Finnegan, giving Penn State only five hits in the game.

Game Five Vs. Villanova

The Nittany Lions did not have a good game, as Villanova won 9-3 in the final day of the tournament. The offense continued to not be able to get a lot of runs on the board, and sophomore pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter had her worst game of the year so far.

Lingenfelter couldn’t even get through the first inning as freshmen Vanessa Oatley came in with two outs in the first. She ended up giving up a three run home run in the second inning, allowing Villanova to extend their lead which they wouldn’t give back.

The offense didn’t score a single run until the sixth inning, when redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg drove in freshman infielder Michelle Leone to put their first run on the board. Later in that inning, sophomore outfielder Melina Livingston scored on a throwing error. Freshman infielder Kaitlyn Morrison had an RBI double in the seventh inning, but Villanova’s lead was too much to overcome.

Takeaways

• DEFENSE! The Nittany Lions have committed 13 errors this season, and have three games where they have committed three or more errors in a single game. Now, they are lucky that they are 2-1 in those games, but when conference play begins, poor defense will lead to loses. They need to fix the defensive issues as soon as possible.
• Bailey Parshall is a stud. She not only recorded her 200th career strikeout over the weekend, but she pitched her second complete game of the season. When head coach Amanda Lehotak said she was the ace of the staff, she meant it. Parshall has been a leader to this young staff and she should have continued success as the season goes on.
• The offense needs to get into a groove. It is great to see players like Kaitlyn Morrison and Kennedy Legg play big roles in the offense, but some of these players are just struggling to get into a groove. There needs to be more production from Chelsea Bisi, Melina Livingston, L.A. Matthews, Dani Fey, and the rest of the roster if they want to be competitive. Next week is a difficult week, so if Penn State wants to win, more players need to step up.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will have a tough weekend ahead of them as they head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take part in the Bama Bash. Their first game is at 12 p.m. on Friday, February 21 against Louisville.