Penn State softball (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) collapsed late to Incarnate Word (8-0, 0-0 SLC) 5-4 and crushed Houston (6-1, 0-0 Big 12) 10-2 at the Houston Invitational on Friday.

After leading for much of the game, the Nittany Lions allowed Incarnate Word to win on a walk-off sacrifice fly by giving up four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Despite the loss, Allison Oneacre hit two home runs and added a third on the day in the dismantling of Houston.

Game One

Penn State started strong with Natalie Lieto doubling to begin the second inning after a scoreless first. Allison Oneacre would bring her home with a two-run shot to center field.

History would repeat itself in the third inning after Lieto got on base off a fielder’s choice, and Oneacre homered again to make it 4-0 Nittany Lions.

However, Incarnate Word would get one back in the bottom of the third after Penn State pitcher McKenna Young allowed a walk, then a single, giving up a run to make it 4-1.

Penn State would get another scoring opportunity in the fourth after Kaylie Walters singled to begin the inning. Kirsten Finarelli would get hit by a pitch, giving the Nittany Lions runners at first and second with just one out.

A double steal attempt would go awry for Penn State, and Walters would be thrown out at third, and a Brooke Klosowicz fly out would end the inning with no runs for the Nittany Lions.

Mackenzie Duncan would check in for Penn State in the bottom of the fourth and helped Penn State get out of a jam, stranding two Incarnate Word baserunners to keep the lead at three.

Oneacre would be the only batter in the entire fifth inning to get on base after she was walked. All other batters would get out to keep the game at 4-1.

Penn State would three-up-three-down in the sixth. Incarnate Word had a great opportunity to score, but a relay from Lieto to Walters to Madison Seidel would get the runner out at home.

After taking over in the sixth, Abigail Britton would take the mound in the bottom of the seventh to save the game for Penn State. Britton would allow a single, then a homer on the first two batters she faced. This prompted Clarissa Crowell to put Bridget Nemeth in the game.

After Nemeth allowed a home run and a double to tie the game, Young would take the mound again. She would give up a single and a walk-off sac fly to give Incarnate Word the 5-4 win.

Game Two

After Nieto was walked, Oneacre hit her third home run in eight innings to put the Nittany Lions up 2-0 after the first inning.

In the second, Klosowicz reached first on a fielder’s choice and was brought home by a single by Seidel. Nemeth followed up a 1-2-3 first inning by giving up a run to make it 3-1 Penn State through the opening two innings.

The third was kicked off with another Nieto walk. This time, it would be Finarelli bringing her home with a homer, making it 5-1 through three and a half.

Duncan would come in to pitch at the bottom of the third. She would give up a solo shot to her second batter faced, but would close out the inning with two flyouts.

The fourth inning would be scoreless and hitless by both teams, with Duncan bouncing back and striking out two Houston batters.

Three Penn State batters would be walked to begin the fifth inning. A Klosowicz single would score two runs. The Nittany Lions would score three runs on just one hit in the inning. Brevyn Kellepouris would relieve Duncan on the mound and keep Houston’s run total at two.

In the sixth and final inning, two Nittany Lions were walked, and a Michela Barbanente single would score two because of a Houston fielding error to make it 10-2 Penn State. It was three-up-three-down for the Cougars in their final chance, and the Nittany Lions take this one by a margin of eight.

Takeaways

• Allison Oneacre had a great game against Incarnate Word with two home runs and four rbi’s. She followed it up with another homer against Houston.
• Penn State completely fell apart in the bottom of the seventh against Incarnate Word, letting up four runs to allow a walk-off victory.
• Things went much more smoothly for the Nittany Lions in their second game, with the team scoring multiple runs in four of six innings.

What’s Next?

Penn State has three games left to play in the Houston Invitational. The first of which is against Lafayette on Saturday, February 14, with the first pitch being set for 1 p.m. at Husky Field in Houston, Texas.