Penn State softball went 4-0 in the Penn State Invitational over the weekend with wins over Canisius, Lafayette, and two over Fairfield.

Friday proved to be a historic day for the Nittany Lions as they defeated Canisius 12-4 and Fairfield 23-0. It was the first time Penn State scored 13 and 15 runs in back-to-back games since 2016.

Game One

The Golden Griffiths got off to a hot start on Friday as Tabitha von Kolen drew a walk and Emily Ilano homered to give Canisius a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Haylie Brunson slammed a pitch into the outfield for a single and Brooke Klosowicz tied the game with a home run.

The Canisius bats stayed hot through the second inning, with Cara Edwards adding a solo shot to left to put the Golden Griffiths up again at 3-2. Kaylie Walters managed to make it to first but was eventually thrown out as the Nittany Lions were retired in order.

After an uneventful third inning, Edwards once again pummeled a ball over the fence and Canisius took a 4-2 lead. The Nittany Lions couldn’t manage any offense in the fourth frame but exploded in the fifth. With one down, Walters drew a four-pitch walk. Natalie Lieto sent the first pitch of the at-bat over the fence as the Nittany Lions drew even at 4-4. Brunson and Klosowicz both had singles before Canisius made a change in the pitching circle.

Two errors on a single play put Klosowicz at second and Sent Brunson home while Maddie Gordon also reached first with the Nittany Lions now leading 5-4. Macy Chamberlin stepped up next and delivered her second career home run which pushed the lead to 8-4. The Nittany Lions tacked on one more after a fielding error allowed Michela Barbanente to score.

Canisius was blanked in the next frame. Brunson hit a two-run homer and Klosowicz managed a solo shot that ended the game at 12-4 in favor of the Nittany Lions.

Game Two

Fairfield could only manage a walk in the top of the first before the Nittany Lions offense got started right away. Meagan Ricks took a walk before Brunson retired and Klosowicz singled up the middle to advance Ricks to third. Klosowicz stole second before Gordon was hit by a pitch. Natalie Lieto drove home two runs with a single up the middle. The inning ended with Penn State leading 2-0.

Fairfield had two runners on base in the top of the second, but a strikeout ended the half-inning for the Stags. Nelson singled to center before Walters flew out to the shortstop. Brunson drove in a run on the next at-bat and then stole second before Klosowicz nailed a three-run homer to make it 6-0.

Madison Seidel recorded an RBI as Lieto came home and the inning ended 7-0.

After a scoreless third and a three-up, three-down side from Penn State’s defense, the Nittany Lions went on a rampage. Klosowicz started the inning by getting on base with a single before she was sent home by Gordon’s double. Another double from Lieto scored Gordon and Lieto scored on the next batted ball with an error to make it 10-0.

A two-run homer from Barbanente was followed by a solo shot from Nelson, which was followed by another two-run homer from Gianna Poletti after Walters reached base. After the barrage of long bombs, Penn State led 15-0.

It wasn’t over yet, though, as Gordon singled to left before Lieto walked. Seidel drove in Gordon for another RBI before Nelson, Walters, and Poletti all managed RBIs with Penn State now leading 20-0.

A three-run homer from Lydia Coleman pushed the lead to 23-0 before the inning finally came to an end. Fairfield remained scoreless in the top of the fifth and Penn State recorded a historic 23-0 win to remain undefeated in the Penn State Invitational.

Game Three

Mady Volpe got the start inside the circle on Sunday against Fairfield fresh off a 23-0 win. After retiring the first batter, a walk sent a runner to first and a Fairfield RBI put the Stags up 1-0 early. Penn State went down in order.

Volpe recorded a strikeout to start the second inning and followed it up with a walk as Fairfield reached base. A single and two popouts later, the half-inning ended with no score. The Nittany Lions started off the bottom of the second with a solo shot from Gordon, which was immediately followed by Lieto to put Penn State up 2-1. Nelson pounded a double to right field and Walkters singled up the middle, scoring Nelson to put Penn State up by two at 3-1.

Lydia Spalding entered in the third inning and, after a flyout, walked and struck out a batter in succession before giving up a single and a three-run homer as Fairfield retook the lead at 4-3. The Stags added another run on a fielding error before the half-inning came to a close with Fairfield leading 5-3.

The Nittany Lions mounted a response in the bottom of the third and Klosowicz led the inning with a double before Gordon walked. Klosowicz scored on a single to right from Lieto, who stole second as Gordon scored on an error. Chamberlin’s two-run shot was the last score of the inning as Penn State led 7-5.

Fairfield was retired in order in the top of the fourth by Abigail Britton, and Walters led off in the bottom of the inning with a single to left. Poletti reached base but Walters was thrown out on a fielder’s choice. A Brunson flyout was followed by a single from Klosowicz, but she was left stranded as Gordon grounded out to end the inning with the score still at 7-5 in favor of Penn State.

Fairfield recorded a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth before Britton tossed a walk. The next two batters couldn’t reach base and Penn State returned to offense with a two-run lead. Lieto started the bottom half of the inning with a single down the first-base line but was caught stealing during Chamberlin’s at-bat. Chamberlin flew out and Barbanente grounded out to end the inning still at 7-5.

Fairfield’s offense was once again stagnant in the top of the sixth, getting one runner on board with no runs. Nelson singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth before Walters reached base with a bunt. Poletti laid down a sacrifice bunt and was called out as the runners advanced. Brunson drove in two RBIs as Walters and Nelson scored to push the lead to 9-5 with one gone in the bottom of the sixth.

Brunson reached third and Lieto reached first on a fielder’s choice that saw Klosowicz nabbed for the out at second base to end the inning with Penn State up 9-5.

With two outs and runners on first and second, the Stags tacked on two more runs with a double to left center. With the score 9-7, a ground out to the shortstop ended the game. The Nittany Lions stayed perfect in the Penn State invitational with a 9-7 win over Fairfield, its second of the weekend.

Game Four

Volpe once again got the start and tossed a three-up, three-down inning against Lafayette before the Nittany Lions came to the plate. Lieto had a leadoff groundout before Brunson doubled and Klosowicz walked. Gordon hit a triple to right center, driving in both Klosowicz and Brunson. Ricks laid down a bunt that scored Gordon to make it 3-0 early. Ricks and Chamberlin got on base and were driven home for the last two runs of the first inning as Penn State led 5-0.

Volpe gave up one walk in the top of the second but Lafayette couldn’t muster any offense. Klosowicz drove in an RBI after Lieto doubled to right field to push the score to 6-0.

Lafayette put a runner on base after a groundout, but a foulout and groundout brought the Nittany Lions to the plate again. Ricks led the bottom of the third with a double and Nelson singled before Barbanente homered over the centerfield wall and tacked on three more runs to make it 9-0 before the inning ended.

Jiselle Hernandez took to the circle in place of Volpe for the top of the fourth and quickly retired the side. Klosowicz doubled up the middle and made it to third on a passed ball to begin Penn State’s side of the inning. Chamberlin drove Klosowicz and Gordon in as the Nittany Lions’ lead ballooned to 11-0. Nelson followed up the score with a double to left field.

Barbanente hit yet another homer, adding two more runs and putting Penn State up 13-0. Walters put herself on third base after the homer with a drive to right center, but Lieto was called out on a pop fly to end the inning.

Hernandez gave up a double to start the top of the fifth, and a sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to third. A strikeout and a groundout ended the game as the Nittany Lions took the game 13-0 via the run rule.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will hit the road to take on Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13.