PSU Softball Falls to Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Penn State softball team was unable to come away with the sweep of Indiana University, falling 11-2 in six innings in game three Sunday, Apr. 10. The Nittany Lion (19-17, 8-3 B1G) defense was plagued by errors, committing a season-high four miscues in the field that would allow the Hoosiers (22-16, 5-6 B1G) to score four unearned runs.

Seniors Macy Jones (Ashburn, Va.) and Lexi Knief (Ramsey, N.J.) paced the Penn State offense with two hits apiece, while Knief andAlyssa VanDerveer (Hillsborough, N.J.) brought in one run each. Junior Marlaina Laubach (Northampton, Pa.) tossed five innings for the Blue and White, while Madison Seifert (Wildwood, Mo.) threw 0.1 innings in relief.

CaraMia Tsirigos led Indiana, going 3-for-3 at the dish with one RBI, while Erin Lehman had two hits, drove in one run and scored twice. Taylor Uden also had a big day at the plate for IU, driving in four runs including a three-run home run. Emily Kirk pitched all six innings earning her first decision of 2016, giving up seven hits and two runs.

The Nittany Lions wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard using four hits in the top of the first inning to take the early 2-0 advantage over Indiana. Jones and Sorenson had back-to-back singles before a VanDerveer single to right center scored the first run of the inning. Knief followed it up with a single of her own to give Penn State the 2-0 lead.

The Hoosiers capitalized on two Penn State errors in the bottom of the second inning as IU brought in two unearned runs to knot the score at 2-2.

Indiana took the 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when a leadoff slap single to left field moved into scoring position on a steal and an overflow before crossing home on a single through the left side of the infield. A run down between third and home was unable to secure an out for the Penn State defense, loading the bases with one out before Laubach came up with a huge strikeout. However, the next batter was nicked by a pitch on her elbow guard to plate a run and extend the IU lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Nittany Lions struggled to find its final out of the inning when a fielder’s choice ball up the middle and a single to shallow center field brought in two runs for the Hooisers. Laubach closed out the inning for the Penn State softball defense with her second strikeout of the inning, but Indiana took a 6-2 lead into the final two innings of the contest.

Back-to-back hits in the bottom of the sixth inning added a seventh run for Indiana before Penn State made a pitching change with no outs and a runner on second. Following the pitching change, a double to left field put runners on second and third before a sacrifice fly to deep center field allowed the eighth run of the game to cross the plate for the Hoosiers with one out.

Indiana used a three-run home run over the left center field wall to notch the 11-2 six-inning victory over Penn State to end the three-game series and prevent the Penn State sweep.

The Nittany Lions will return to Happy Valley Wednesday, Apr. 13 for a non-conference doubleheader against Bucknell. First pitch at Nittany Lions Softball Park and Beard Field.


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