Penn State softball finished its successful tournament weekend in Miami on a high note. Along with a 3-1 record, senior pitcher Bailey Parshall recorded a perfect game against FIU in the Panther Invitational.

Parshall’s landmark outing easily etched her name into the Nittany Lions’ history books. Across its history, Penn State has posted just five perfect games. The team’s most recent flawless box score came back in 2005.

Bailey arshall.

21 up, 21 down. 0 hits. 0 base runners. 11 K's.#WeAre | #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/khg1Ce2rn4

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) February 19, 2022

“It is something very rare to do, and I think for me, it gave me a lot of confidence in the defense,” Parshall said this week. “You can’t throw a perfect game without a good defense behind you.”

Parshall’s outstanding performance included 11 strikeouts, which gave her a top performance accolade from NFCA and a student-athlete of the week honor here at Penn State.

.@baileyparshall has earned a "Top Performance" nod by @NFCAorg for a solid weekend in the circle at the Panther Invitational!

First perfect game for PSU pitcher since 2005
2-0, 2 complete-game shutouts
17 K's (11 in perfect game)

: https://t.co/EcISrJHupc#WeAre pic.twitter.com/crAd0eszCC

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) February 22, 2022

Despite her on-field talents, Parshall routinely doubled down and said her perfect game wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her eight teammates on the field.

“We have grown all together on defense, and I think it’s showing very well in our last few games,” Parshall said humbly. “We have been really intentional this preseason about creating good chemistry.”

The core of this defense has been highlighted by transfer catcher Cassie Lindmark, who is certainly making herself known behind the plate. She’s shown a good deal of camaraderie with Parshall so far this season.

“We have a lot of one on one conversations in practice and out of practice,” Parshall said, noting that small changes have greatly impacted their play together on the field.

Along with her perfect game, Parshall leads Penn State with 46 strikeouts on the young season. She’s racked up a 1.86 ERA across six appearances.

Parshall’s on-field prowess certainly isn’t going unnoticed by Penn State’s staff, either.

“Bailey had her best stuff [Friday] night, but I think it takes a lot more than just being able to pitch well,” Crowell told Penn State Athletics. “I think from a mindset standpoint, she was able to stay composed. You’ve got to show some grittiness and some resiliency and some mental toughness to throw a perfect game.”

Crowell also noted that she’s not surprised by Parshall’s success.

Parshall and the Nittany Lions will be back in action against Georgia Tech on Friday, February 25. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Atlanta.