Penn State softball (4-19) was added three more victories to its record over the weekend by winning its first series of the season against Rutgers (6-18).

The weekend’s wins were powered by big-time offense, especially from the likes of Lilia Crouthamel, Kennedy Legg, and Ally Kurland.

Pitcher Bailey Parshall also returned to form with her first win of the season in game three. Kylee Lingenfelter also had a solid start in game two, while Vanessa Oatley had two strong relief appearances.

Game One Vs. Rutgers

The first game of the Friday doubleheader resulted in a loss for Penn State, with the final score being 3-2.

Bailey Parshall started off the series in the circle, pitching a complete game. She would give up three runs and strike out eight batters. It was also one of the few games where the defense committed zero errors.

The offense got off to a sluggish start out of the gate but picked up a run on an Ally Kurland RBI triple. It could have gotten a second run on a Melina Livingston sacrifice fly, but a bad call by the umpire erased that run off of the board.

Livingston would get a second chance at an RBI by driving in a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh.

Game Two Vs. Rutgers

Written by Tobey Prime

Thanks to a hot offensive start, Penn State was able to get revenge by winning its second game 10-3. It was the most runs the team scored all season.

The Nittany Lions started the game off hot with seven hits and seven runs in the first two innings, including a Lilia Crouthamel home run, her first of the season and her career. Later, they added two more runs in the fifth and a nail-in-the-coffin home run by Kennedy Legg in the sixth. Seven of the nine starters recorded hits, and Livingston, Legg, and Crouthamel registered two.

Kylee Lingenfelter got the start for the Nittany Lions. She pitched the first four innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four. Vanessa Oatley came in for relief, but for only one inning where she allowed one hit and two walks. Parshall came in for the last two innings to close the game for the Nittany Lions, giving up no hits.

Game Three Vs. Rutgers

The Nittany Lions got on a bit of a streak, folks. They won game one of the Saturday doubleheader 4-2. They were officially on a two-game winning streak.

Parshall pitched for the third time in three days, this time as a starter, but she didn’t seem fatigued at all. She pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out two. It was her first win of the season.

Kurland had a career game for Penn State, hitting two home runs and driving in three RBIs. Michelle Leone also drove in an RBI, while Livingston and Maddie Finnegan got a couple of hits for the team.

Game Four Vs. Rutgers

Penn State kept scratching and clawing to get back into the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, where they would win 4-3.

The offense slowed down a bit in this game, only getting one hit in the first four innings thanks to a Mel Coombs single. The fifth inning saw a big explosion of offense, though, with Livingston hitting a double and Crouthamel driving her in with an RBI single.

The sixth inning was even better. Coombs kicked it off with a double, and Claire Swedberg and Amanda Mack were able to draw walks to load the bases. Leone hit a single to drive in a run, and Crouthamel hit a double to drive in two more.

Logan Black entered the circle for the start, pitching four innings and giving up three runs. She would only strike out two batters in those four innings. Oatley came on in relief, pitching three innings. She would give up zero runs, strike out one, and pick up her second win of the season.

Takeaways

• The first two games of the series proved it takes time to get the offense into the swing of things. Even though Penn State lost game one, it was very close to winning and their offense put them in a position to win. It carried over to game two, where the offense exploded. That is a very good sign if that production can become more consistent.
• Getting two wins in a row and three in a series is a big confidence booster. In a season that has been defined by losing, something as simple as winning two games could provide a big momentum push for the latter half of the season. With everything being put together finally, it seems like Penn State might have found its groove.
• The pitchers are improving! Bailey Parshall seems to be getting into a better groove, and Kylee Lingenfelter and Vanessa Oatley are becoming more consistent in their appearances. Logan Black needs to continue to work on her game. But overall, it is a good sign to see the pitching staff making improvements.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State for a four-game series starting Friday, April 16.