Penn State softball (27-15, 7-8 Big Ten) slugged its way to a blowout victory against Bucknell (6-29-1, 3-6 Patriot League) on Dollar Dog Night at Beard Field on Tuesday night via run rule, 11-3.

The Nittany Lions’ bats struck early and often, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits in just five innings. Three pitchers combined to hold the Bison at bay just enough to end the game via a run-rule walk-off in the fifth inning.

How It Happened

Abigail Britton got the start for Penn State on the mound, and after giving up a leadoff single to Sarah Zimmer, sat down the next three Bucknell batters in order.

Zimmer got the ball for the Bison in the bottom of the first. She struck out Breanna Hanik, but the ball trickled away, and she reached on a passed ball. A stolen base and a throwing error got her to third base with nobody out, and after Brooke Klosowicz was hit in the head, a delayed double steal got her home with the game’s opening run.

Britton pitched around an error by Michela Barbanente with two outs to retire the side in the second. After a groundout, Penn State worked three consecutive walks off of Zimmer, but had one of them picked off the bases on a strong throw by Bucknell catcher Angelina Seropian. Still, with two on and two out, Hanik blasted a 1-2 pitch deep to center field for a three-run homer, her seventh of the season, to make it 4-0 Nittany Lions.

BREE BREE LEAVES THE YARD

E2 | PSU 4, BUCK 0#WeAre | #AllIN pic.twitter.com/t7xGy6RyXT

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 14, 2026

Bridget Nemeth replaced Britton on the mound to start the third for Penn State. She walked Reagan Powell to open the frame, but stranded her at first base. Gabby Gradishar led off the bottom half with a single and came around to score on a moonshot of a home run by Barbanente, her sixth of the season, to make it 6-0.

Mickey with a BLASTTTTTTT

B3 | 0 OUTS | PSU 6, BUCK 0#WeAre | #AllIn pic.twitter.com/gjFR5ijXA3

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 14, 2026

Nina Barrouk relieved Zimmer on the mound with no outs in the third, but the onslaught didn’t stop there. After a groundout, Natalie Lieto squared one up and blasted it for her ninth home run of the season to make it 7-0.

natalieto leaves the park

B3 | 1 OUT | PSU 7, BUCK 0#WeAre | #AllIn pic.twitter.com/KgyxbhFoex

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 14, 2026

Madison Seidel hammered a two-out single to right field and was brought in herself by a long RBI double by Hanik. Allison Oneacre joined the party one pitch later, lofting a ball into the left-center field gap for a hustle RBI double before scoring herself on another RBI double by Klosowicz, as the Nittany Lions went up 10-0 after three.

Suddenly facing a run-rule situation, Bucknell’s bats tried to rally back with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases with one out. Suddenly in a jam, Sonny Taft chopped one to Nemeth on the mound, who got the force out at the plate for the second out, but Powell battled back with two strikes to line a two-run single up the middle to get Bucknell on the board, 10-2.

Mea Consenti pitched the bottom of the fourth for Bucknell and was finally able to put up a zero, stranding Barbanente on first after an infield single. Brevyn Kellepouris tried to close things out early via run-rule, but she gave up a single and a Brooke Popel RBI double to keep the Bison alive temporarily, cutting the deficit to 10-3.

Macy Chamberlin led off the bottom of the fifth with a double against Consenti to put the game-ending run on base. Jordyn Jochims and Kalli Karwowski both beat out infield singles to load the bases with one out for Gradishar, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to walk this one off.

Takeaways

• After a very rough weekend series at Beard Field against Northwestern, it was refreshing to see the Nittany Lions pick themselves up and take care of business in front of a nice crowd in midweek action.
• Head coach Clarisa Crowell realized the situation as a potential run-rule game and didn’t leave any of her pitchers in too long. Abigail Britton tied a season low in pitches in a start, tossing just 32 in two scoreless innings.
• Penn State has now won via run rule in 10 of its 27 wins this season.

What’s Next?

Penn State heads on the road for a three-game weekend series in Columbus against Ohio State, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 17. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.