Penn State Falls in First Game to Rutgers

posted April 12, 2019 in CommRadio, Sports by Trent Fye

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The 20-21 Penn State softball team took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, losing their first game in their three game weekend series.

Kylie Lingenfelter started off the game in the circle for Penn State. Katie Wingert hit on RBI double to send Jess Hughes home for the first score of the game but Lingenfelter finished the top of the first striking out Myah Moy.

Corah Price pitched the bottom of the first inning for Rutgers. Chelsea Bisi hit a double with two outs on the board, but after a long battle between Price and Dubois, an out ended the first inning with Rutgers leading 1-0.

Lingenfelter pitched the top of the second inning. After Aleah Marra hit a single, Lingenfelter finished with three straight outs. Price pitched the bottom of the second with Destiny Weber at bat, but she got caught out by the catcher Wingert. Delaney Elling scored first for Penn State with a home run into deep left field to tie the game. Price finished out the second inning by striking out Dani Fey. All tied up after two.

Lingenfelter pitched the top of the third inning. Hughes got the walk to first and stole second base. Then Wingert hit a home run to deep left field to score a two run home run to put them up 3-1. Nicole Bowman hit a homerun into right center field for their second homerun of the afternoon

Bailey Parshall came in to relieve Lingenfelter and finished off the top of the third.

Moy made a diving catch at third base to catch out Livingston in the bottom of the third. Swedberg sent the ball deep into right field but the ball was fielded and a double play was made to get out Polk to end the third inning. With three down, Rutgers led 4-1.

Parshall pitched the fourth inning, as Erin Collins of Rutgers hit a line drive to center field for a single. After that, Parshall willed her way to three straight outs. Price pitched the bottom of the fourth and Weber hit a line drive to left center field for a single, but after that, Prince finished with an out. After four innings, Rutgers led 4-1.

Parshall pitched the top of the fifth, as Anyssa Iliopoulos hit a ball into deep center field for a single. An error by the first baseman Bisi allowed Iliopoulos to run home from third base. After another walk, Hannah Shields came in to relieve Parshall at pitcher. A great defensive play by Bisi ended the fifth inning, on top of her many offensive efforts throughout the contest. 

“Chelsea Bisi is one of our hottest hitters all year, she just got eager and hit in the moment and she just went after a bad pitch,” Penn State headcoach Amanda Lehotak said.

Rutgers had the bases loaded and an opportunity to force the mercy rule but Penn State won the final pitch. Price pitched her final inning in solid fashion by keeping Penn State scoreless in the bottom of the fifth.

Shields pitched the top of the sixth and started with two straight outs by a great defensive effort. Iliopoulos hit another Rutgers homerun to bring their total to six. Wingert was struck out to end the top of the sixth.

Whitney Jones came in to relieve Price at pitcher. Amanda Grieco was walked at her at-bat but an excellent double play by Rutgers tagged out Weber and Grieco. Pinch hitting for Penn State was Ally Kurland, who was caught out ending the sixth inning. Rutgers led 6-1.

Shields pitched the top of the seventh for Penn State. Weber caught the first out and Rutgers got Moy and Burcar on base after two singles. Bisi tagged out Hoklotubbe to end the top of seventh. Jones finished out the game pitching excellent and getting three outs to hold Penn State scoreless in the final inning.

Rutgers scored once in the first, three in the third, and one in both the fifth and sixth. Penn State scored their only run in the second. Delaney Elling got her first start of the season and hit a homerun in the second. 

“Those things just happen, if you go for a ground ball and you get that, it worked out,” Elling said. 

Rutgers won the game 6-1. The series continues with a doubleheader on Saturday. 

 

 

Trent Fye is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism, to contact him, email Flintfootball53@gmail.com.