Penn State softball (11-14) was able to win the majority of its games from the first weekend of the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational.

The team was led primarily by sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall, who struck out 36 batters over three games. Sophomore outfielder Melina Livingston also was a key player for the Nittany Lions, whose four RBI performance against Robert Morris helped secure a win.

Game One Vs. Yale

The Nittany Lions started their weekend with a late inning win for their first game on Friday, beating Yale 2-0.

Junior outfielder Dani Fey had a two RBI single in the top of the seventh inning that secured the victory. Freshman infielder Kaitlyn Morrison led the team with two hits in four at bats, while a few others were able to get on base as well.

Sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall pitched another complete game, striking out a season high 14 batters and giving up only three hits. This was her fourth complete game of the season.

Game Two Vs. Bowling Green

The second game of the Friday doubleheader was not as favorable as the first. Penn State could not get any offense going, as it was shut out 4-0 by Bowling Green.

Freshman Vanessa Oatley got the start in the circle. She went 4.1 innings, striking out four but giving up three runs. Sophomore Kylee Lingenfelter and junior Logan Black each came on in relief.

On the offensive side, redshirt junior designated hitter Kennedy Legg and freshman infielder Maggie Finnegan each had two hits, but they weren’t able to get any runs on the board.

Game Three Vs. Seton Hall

The first game of the Saturday double header was not good at all for the Nittany Lions. They got mercy-ruled in just five innings of play, losing to Seton Hall 10-2.

Senior Hannah Shields got the nod for the start, but her time in the circle was short lived as she only went one inning. Oatley came on in relief, and gave up five runs in an inning of work. Lingenfelter pitched two solid innings, and Black wrapped up the game with a hitless fifth inning.

Legg and Finnegan both continued their impressive offensive performances throughout the series. Legg had two hits including a double, and Finnegan had an RBI single. Sophomore outfielder Melina Livingston had a good game as well, registering two hits and an RBI.

Game Four Vs. Robert Morris

Penn State got its revenge in game two of the Saturday doubleheader, mercy-ruling Robert Morris 8-0 in five innings.

Livingston had herself a day, with four RBIs and two extra-base hits. Sophomore outfielder Lilia Crouthamel also knocked in two RBIs, and senior infielder Amanda Grieco had an RBI as well.

Sophomore Bailey Parshall continued her dominance in the circle, as she pitched in all five innings and striking out 10 batters. She has struck out double digit batters in both games she has pitched in during this tournament.

Game Five Vs. Western Michigan

The final game of the weekend ended in a good way for the Nittany Lions, as they beat Western Michigan 3-0. They ended up winning the majority of their games during the first weekend in Florida.

Parshall entered the circle again, and guess what? She threw a complete game AGAIN! This time, she struck out 12 batters and only gave up three hits.

Offensively, it was freshman catcher K.T. Rex that had the big day, as she had two hits and two RBI’s. Livingston added to an already stellar weekend with another RBI of her own, and junior outfielder Dani Fey had two hits as well.

Takeaways

• Bailey. Parshall. That’s it. That’s the tweet. In all seriousness, Parshall has proven to be the ace Coach Lehotak has mentioned earlier in the season. The fact that she was able to shake off some early struggles to become this dominant is very impressive, and that can only help the Nittany Lions as the season progresses.
• Errors are still an issue for the Nittany Lions, but the team has improved as the season has moved forward. The freshmen are getting more comfortable in their roles, and as they are able to play more games, their comfort should increase. The errors aren’t going to magically disappear, but they should become less frequent.
• Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Bisi has been absent from the lineup for a few weeks now, and there was some concern how that would affect the team. However, the team has responded really well as multiple players have stepped up. Sophomore Lilia Crouthamel has played really well, and sophomore Melina Livingston has stepped into the leadership role.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions travel to Tampa, Florida to take on South Florida on Wednesday, March 11. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.