Penn State softball (26-14, Big Ten 7-10) won two hard-fought games against Maryland (31-15, Big Ten 7-10) during its three-game stretch in College Park.

Timely hits were key for the Nittany Lions this weekend, with hits coming late in the game to secure some much-needed Big Ten wins. Specifically, Lexie Black had a home run in game one and an RBI single in game two en route to the team’s wins.

The defense was also huge this weekend, keeping all three games within one run to constantly have the wins in reach.

Game One

The weekend started off hot for the Nittany Lions with a 3-2 win.

Emily Maddock led off the top of the first with a hit and Maddie Gordon had a hit in the second to make it seven straight games with a hit, but neither could score to keep it tied 0-0.

The Terrapins were the first to strike in the bottom of the third to break the stalemate due to a sacrifice fly going up 1-0. But, ace Bailey Parshall stepped in the next inning and held off Maryland with just three pitches.

The Nittany Lions then got on the board in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-run homerun from Lexie Black.

GET GONE. TWO RUN SHOT FOR LEXIE. PSU LEADS.

M5 | PSU 2, UMD 1#WeAre pic.twitter.com/aUmCBNrtQR

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 21, 2023

Maryland then answered in the latter half of the inning to tie it up 2-2.

Parshall had another one-two-three inning and that led Penn State through the seventh inning, but the game remained tied through regulation.

In another heroic action, Black stepped up the plate once again and blasted her second home run of the game in the top of the eighth to earn the 3-2 win.

Game Two

Maryland bounced back for game two to earn its first win of the weekend and handed Penn State a 2-1 loss.

Kylee Lingenfelter earned the start in the circle and Penn State scored in the bottom of the first with an RBI double that scored Maddie Gordon.

Maggie Finnegan added to her hit streak as well for the eighth game in a row to put runners on first and third, but no runs were scored.

The Terrapins knotted the score at the bottom of the third with a single from Jaeda McFarland.

The defensive put on a strong front until the fifth inning when the Terrapins scored on a sacrifice fly to go up 2-1.

Neither side could muster up another run and Maryland finished with the 2-1 win.

Game Three

The final game of the series has Penn State on top once again 2-1.

Bailey Parshall was back in action on the mound in a major way, striking out two in the bottom of the first inning with threatening runners on second and third.

The score stayed tied 0-0 through two innings until Maryland was able to launch a solo home run to go up by one.

Lexie Black came up big again with a single in the top of the fourth to put a runner in scoring position, but the Nittany Lions could not score and still held a 1-0 deficit.

Kylee Lingenfelter then entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, and an extraordinary catch by Maggie Finnegan gave Penn State some much-needed momentum.

FINNY ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!?!?!?!
This RIDICULOUS play by Maggie Finnegan sparks a 1-2-3 inning for the PSU defense. It's RALLY TIME

E5 | UMD 1, PSU 0#WeAre pic.twitter.com/WYgbt7ESFF

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 23, 2023

This led the way for Lexie Black as she singled in the top of the sixth to score a run and tie the game. Maddie Gordon also produced a sacrifice fly to deep left field to give Penn State the lead 2-1.

Lingenfelter had a huge strikeout to shut down the Terrapins in the bottom of the sixth and held them off again with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh to win the game 2-1.

Takeaways

• When it comes to offense, Lexie Black has been the shining star for the Nittany Lions. After suffering the loss of Ally Kurland this season, Black has stepped up with a .322 hitting percentage and leading the team with eight home runs this season to be the spark in the lineup.
• Aside from power hitting, Emily Maddock and Maggie Finnegan have both been hot at the plate with a seven and eight-game hitting streak, respectively. The lineup has been producing hits from one to nine, and it’s showing in the win column.
• This weekend, the defense also proved strong as all three games were low scoring. Postseason is right around the corner and being consistent in the field and on the mound will be key.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will return to Beard Field for their final home Big Ten series of the season against Illinois. Game one will start at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 28 at the Nittany Lion Softball Park.