Penn State softball (20-6) faced Binghamton (14-8) in the final game of the Penn State Invitational Sunday.

A massive first inning for the Nittany Lions with 11 runs scored highlighted another dominant win for Penn State and a 5-0 weekend. Additionally, Penn State came up big at the plate with three home runs from Haylie Brunson, Amanda Mack, and Maddie Gordon.

How It Happened

Mady Volpe once again earned the start in the circle. Binghamton came out swinging and put the leadoff batter on first, but she was called out for leaving first base early. Volpe dominated and ended the inning with two straight strikeouts.

Penn State’s Kaitlyn Morrison got the offense started for the Nittany Lions when she got hit by a pitch and took first base. Emily Maddock followed that up with a slap single to left field to put runners on first and second. Haylie Brunson then came up big for Penn State with a three-run home run to earn the 3-0 lead.

Next up, Maddie Gordon drew a walk. Michela Barbanente then lined a hard ball to third, but an error by Binghamton’s third baseman made everyone safe. Liana Jones kept the bats hot with an RBI double off of the right-center fence to score Gordon and up Penn State’s lead 4-0.

Madison Seidel hit a ground ball to short, but the shortstop made the play at home and tagged out Barbanente. To make up for it, Jiselle Hernandez ripped a single to left field on the next at-bat to score Jones from third and make it 5-0.

Freshman Gianna Poletti kept the offense going with another double to left-center. Poletti scored Seidel and Hernandez and once again extended Penn State’s lead 7-0. Binghamton then opted for a pitching change to Allison L’Amoreaux.

The top of the order also came full circle and Morrison stepped into the box for the second time in the inning. Morrison got it done again with a double off of the base of the wall and scored Poletti.

Next, Maddock grounded out, but Brunson picked her up with another deep RBI double to score Morrison. Gordon then picked up her fourth home run of the season with a two-run shot over the left-field fence.

Penn State led 11-0 after the first inning.

Binghamton attempted to chip away at the score when Mady Volpe walked back-to-back batters, but Volpe worked back to get a strikeout and make it two outs against the Bearcats.

The Bearcats did load the bases with another walk from Volpe, and a fourth walk brought in Binghamton’s first run of the game. Volpe registered another wild pitch and another run came home for the Bearcats. Head coach Clarisa Crowell then made a pitching change for Lydia Spalding.

Binghamton’s Brianna Santos hit a shallow pop-up to left field off of Spalding, and two more runs came making the score 11-4. Finally, Penn State retired the side with a pop fly to left field.

Jones picked up the offense again in the top of the third with a lead-off triple. Seidel then hit a sacrifice fly, and scored Jones. Hernandez put runners back on with a walk, but a ground ball from Poletti got the out at second. Morrison also popped out and ended the inning.

Spalding put in work in the circle to start the third with a strikeout. Although she gave up a walk, she bounced back with a strikeout and a groundout to halt the Bearcats.

Maddock kept her bat on fire with a double to begin the bottom of the third. Binghamton then changed its pitcher for the third time. The change did not affect Brunson as she earned her fifth RBI of the day, scoring Maddock and making the score 13-4.

Gordon then lined out to second for the first out of the inning. Barbanente and Jones also grounded out to end the third.

Binghamton started the fourth inning with a walk, but Spalding had her third strikeout for the first out of the inning the next at-bat. Two more runners got on, and some miscommunication about a popup at shortstop between Hernandez and Barbanente allowed a run to score.

The Bearcats kept rolling with a hit-by-pitch, and the bases were loaded with two outs, but Penn State got out of the jam and kept the score 13-5.

Audree Mendoza then entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning and reached second on a throwing error to first from the shortstop. Next, Hernandez hit a sharp ground ball to first, but Mendoza was tagged at third for the first out.

Penn State’s Amanda Mack also entered the lineup and hammered a two-run home run for her first collegiate home run to add to the lead 15-5.

Another addition to the lineup, Lydia Coleman added a runner with two outs after a single. Brunson had another hit, but Coleman was tagged out at third with a great throw from center field.

Spalding then shut down the Bearcats, forcing two pop-ups and a strikeout to get the 15-5 mercy rule win.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will face in-state rival Pitts at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The game will be streamed on ACC Network.