Penn State Softball Mercy Rules Bucknell 8-0 In Five Innings
Penn State softball (15-18, 2-5 Big Ten) defeated Bucknell (9-20, 0-6 Patriot League) 8-0 at home Tuesday night.
Despite losing their previous four games, the Nittany Lions scored a run in each of the first three inning. An impressive outing on the mound for Mady Volpe and the bats going all night propelled the Nittany Lions to victory.
How It Happened
Mady Volpe started on the bump for Penn State, getting Haley Speicher to ground out back to her for the first out. Ava Aguilar singled to right, getting the bats started for the Bison. She advanced to second on a single up the middle coming off the bat of Savannah Jones.
Volpe walked MaKenzie Hilling to load the bases with only one out, but got Brooke Popella to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Meagan Ricks led off for the Nittany Lions, grounding out to second base. Haylie Brunson stepped up next and put Penn State up 1-0 with one swing of the bat, taking Madison Roukey deep to left field and off the scoreboard.
Brooke Klosowicz grounded out to second base, followed by Maddie Gordon grounding out to first base to end the bottom half of the frame.
Volpe got Reagan Powell to strike out swinging, kicking off the second inning. Marissa Rapino flied out to center field, followed by a groundout back to the pitcher from Molly Lawson. Volpe ended the inning without allowing a baserunner.
Natalie Lieto got the bottom of the second started with a single through the right side. Madison Seidel struck out swinging for the first out, securing Roukey’s first strikeout of the day.
Michela Barbanente doubled to left center, putting two runners in scoring position. Jenna Nelson watched the 3-2 pitch for ball four, loading the bases with one out.
Birthday double for Michela Barbanente!
— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 1, 2025
B2 | 1 OUT | PSU 1, BUCK 0#WeAre | #NextStop pic.twitter.com/wz3mCIZIyJ
Kaylie Walters grounded out to the catcher, and Roukey had Ricks in an 0-2 hole. Ricks battled back, drew the walk, and drove in a run to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead in the second. Following the walk, Brunson grounded out to end the inning.
Volpe started the third inning much like the second, getting Radican to strike out looking. After a fielding error allowed Speicher to reach first, Aguilar dropped a sacrifice bunt to put Speicher in scoring position.
It did not matter, though, as Jones popped one up in foul territory to end the top half of the third inning.
Jones came into pitch in the third, and Klosowicz was hit to start the inning, putting the Nittany Lions right back in business.
Gordon laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached first safely on a throwing error by Jones that ended up in the outfield. Klosowicz made it all the way around the diamond to score, with Gordon ending up at third base.
Lieto grounded out to the pitcher, with Gordon unable to advance home. Seidel put one in play to third base, but Lieto was tagged out at the plate, putting a runner on first with two outs in the inning. Barbanente grounded out on the following play to end the third with a 3-0 lead.
Volpe would strike out the first batter for the third inning in a row to start the fourth.
The Bisons put together two singles in the inning, but Volpe caught Lawson looking on three pitches to retire the side.
Nelson struck out to start the fourth inning for Penn State. Walters walked on a seven pitch at-bat but tested her luck on a sacrifice bunt from Rick and ended up in the middle of a double play to end the inning.
Abigail Britton came in to pitch for Volpe in the fifth. She would get Radican to foul out to right field, Speicher to ground out to first base, and struck out Aguilar to close the frame.
A swinging K to end the fifth!
— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 1, 2025
M5 | PSU 3, BUCK 0#WeAre | #NextStop pic.twitter.com/edvtBIM41F
Brunson got the bottom of the inning started with a triple to left field, and she came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Klosowicz.
Gordon followed that up with a double of her own, and Lieto drove her in with a single up the middle.
Natalie singles up the middle to drive in Maddie G!
— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 1, 2025
B5 | PSU 5, BUCK 0#WeAre | #NextStop pic.twitter.com/raqfzcwGZK
Barbanente, Nelson, and Lydia Coleman hit back-to-back-to-back doubles, adding three more runs to the Nittany Lion total and blowing the game wide open. The Nittany Lions took an 8-0 lead, ending the game due to mercy rules.
Takeaways
- Volpe cruised through four innings of impressive softball. She never put herself in trouble, allowing one runner to reach scoring position during her outing.
- The Nittany Lions capitalized on a bad error, stealing an easy run without having to hit the ball.
- A five-run fifth inning for Penn State put the game out of reach for Bucknell.
What’s Next?
Penn State will return to Beard Field this weekend for a four-game series against Rutgers. The first game is at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4, and can be streamed on BTN+.
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