Penn State softball (14-11) came away with three wins in the first two days of the Penn State Softball Invitational. The team is now undefeated in the state of Pennsylvania this season after winning four straight.

Pitcher Bailey Parshall had herself a weekend by earning two wins and passing 500 career strikeouts.

Game One vs. Cornell

The first game of the series went to extra innings for the Nittany Lions, and after a big comeback, they were able to walk off with a win. They beat the Big Red 3-2 in eight innings.

Maggie Finnegan was the hero of the game by notching two hits and driving in two runs, including the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Lauren Marcotte was also responsible for driving in a run, with an RBI single. Cassie Lindmark, Lexie Black, and Kaitlyn Morrison also tallied hits throughout the game.

Kylee Lingenfelter (3-8) got the start in the circle. She pitched 5.1 innings, striking out six and giving up two runs on only one hit. However, she walked four batters. Bailey Parshall (8-3) entered the circle in relief and pitched 2.2 innings with four strikeouts. She would go on to earn the win.

Game Two vs. Rider

The second game of the Friday doubleheader was a major pitcher’s duel. Neither one was giving any ground right up until the fifth inning. That was when the scoring began en route to a Penn State win.

Parshall (9-3) got the start in the circle and showed no signs of fatigue. She pitched yet another complete game, striking out six and giving up no runs on three hits. The conditioning team should be proud because she pitched nearly 10 innings on the day and earned both wins.

The offense was not as fruitful as it was in the previous game. Ally Kurland was able to hit a double, but that was all the way in the first inning. Penn State wasn’t able to get a hit until Lindmark recorded an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Emily Maddock was also able to get a hit over the course of the game.

Game Three vs. UMass Lowell

The Nittany Lions put on an offensive clinic on Saturday, even after a three-hour rain delay pushed the game’s start time back from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The high-flying Nittany Lions won 12-2 thanks to a mercy rule call.

Lingenfelter got the start in the circle but lasted only two innings. She gave up two runs on four hits, while striking out five in her short span of work. Lydia Spalding (1-0) entered in relief, but she pitched just one inning. She struck out two batters but didn’t give up a hit.

Vanessa Oatley made her season debut in the fourth inning, and you can tell she was hyped to be back. She pitched two innings, giving up no hits and striking out one.

Offensively, the Nittany Lions had a field day. Kurland had a big day at the plate by launching a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth inning. Black wanted to join in on the home run party and hit a solo shot on the first pitch she saw in the third inning. Lindmark also had an RBI single in the third, and then a two RBI single in the fourth.

Takeaways

• Early in the season, Parshall’s nine wins tie her for fourth most in the Big Ten. She leads the conference in innings pitched (93) and ranks second in complete games (10). She is fourth in strikeouts (105) and sixth in ERA (1.51). Without her, Penn State would be hapless.
• Penn State’s defense has been the best it’s been in a long while. So far, the team has committed 14 errors over the course of the season, which is the second fewest in the Big Ten. That mark also leads the conference in fielding percentage with a crisp 0.978. To put it into perspective, the Nittany Lions had the second most errors last season with 53 and the worst fielding percentage with 0.953.
• Emily Maddock laid down most beautiful bunt we’ve ever seen in game three. It loaded the bases with zero outs in the bottom of the fourth and riled the team up.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will finish off the Penn State Softball Invitational with two more games on Sunday against Cornell and Rider beginning at 3 p.m.