Penn State softball (26-7, 5-1 Big Ten) defeated Maryland (16-17, Big 3-3 Ten) 1-0 in 12 innings on Sunday.

The last game of the conference series against the Terrapins was led by pitchers Mady Volpe and Bridget Nemeth with a shutout. At the plate, outfielder Liana Jones delivered the game-winning RBI in the 12th inning to end the game in walk-off fashion.

How It Happened

The day began with Mady Volpe in the circle. The junior put on a clinic with six innings of work and no runs scored. For Maryland, pitcher Courtney Wyche tamed the Nittany Lions to keep the score 0-0.

At the plate, both sides struggled to ignite their offense. By the end of the regulation seven innings, neither sider had more than a few hits and walks with no score.

Penn State had hope in the ninth inning with a single from Gaby Garcia and again in the 10th with a hit from Haylie Brunson, but no runs came across home. The Terrapins had a double with two outs in the 11th inning, but the Nittany Lions’ defense shut it down.

Finally, in the 12th inning, Maddie Gordon smacked a double to the left-field wall. Then, Liana Jones had a double to left field to bring in the run and end the game with an RBI 1-0.

LIANA JONES WITH THE WALKOFF RBI IN THE 12TH

FINAL | PSU 1, UMD 0 (12)#WeAre pic.twitter.com/2WfKAEJPcx

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) March 31, 2024

Players Of the Game

Mady Volpe & Bridget Nemeth | Pitchers

The Nittany Lion pitcher put together a combined two hits and 11 strikeouts through 12 innings of work. Additionally, they only gave up 139 pitches to advance their team to 5-1 in conference play.

This season, Volpe has a 3.55 ERA and counterpart Nemeth has a spectacular 1.01 ERA.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will have a doubleheader against Ohio State at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, in Columbus, Ohio.