Nittany Lions Score Most Runs All Season in Second Win of 2021

Story posted April 10, 2021 in CommRadio, Sports by Jack McCune

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the back end of a Friday night doubleheader, Penn State (2-19) routed Rutgers (6-16) 10-3 at Beard Field after falling in the first game 3-2.

The double-figure run total is the highest amount that the Nittany Lions have scored this season, besting the previous mark of seven in Penn State’s first win against Nebraska. Every starter besides first baseman Lexie Black earned a slash or more in the hit column for 11 total, the second most this year.

“This game was what needed to happen,” said first-year head coach Clarisa Crowell, whose team has an opportunity to win its first series of the season. “Our [players] are good hitters, and they’re staying the course and stuck with it tonight.”

The Scarlet Knights got the scoring started in the top of the first when Penn State starter Kylee Lingenfelter gave up three straight hits after getting the leadoff hitter to line out. But the Nittany Lions would score one in the bottom of the first before going on an offensive onslaught an inning later.

Junior center fielder Lilia Crouthamel got her first career home run to tie the game before five more runners crossed home plate to make it a 7-2 score after two. Rutgers starter Izzy Berouty was credited with four of the runs before sophomore Jaden Vickers gave up two more in relief as their ERA’s both increase to six-plus.

On the other hand, Lingenfelter improved to a 3.33 ERA when she gave up six hits and three earned runs in four innings in the circle in her first win of the year. Her four strikeouts ties a season high for the junior.

And after a scoreless one-hit inning from Vanessa Oatley in relief, lefty Bailey Parshall threw two hitless and scoreless innings to close the deal. While the junior was unable to add on to her strikeout total of 65, she also didn’t record a walk as Rutgers went down one-two-three in its final six outs.

Penn State’s leadoff hitter Melina Livingston joined Crouthamel and designated hitter Kennedy Legg in getting two hits in Game 2 Friday night as she recorded two RBIs on two singles and a run scored. But the right fielder was more impressed by her team’s effort as a whole to get a dominating win in a season to forget.

“We’ve been pushing for one for a while now,” Livingston said. “It’s going to help us in the long run knowing we can score in any situation and any time in the game.”

Another doubleheader against the Scarlet Knights comes Saturday afternoon at 1 and 3 p.m. before Coach Crowell and company head to East Lansing to face the 8-11 Michigan State Spartans in a four-game series with a Saturday doubleheader. Crowell is confident that a lot more wins are on the horizon.

“I can’t believe we haven’t won more games,” Crowell said. “Because we see our [players] go out and play their butts off and give max effort… We know we just have to continue staying the course and the results are going to come, and fortunately that happened tonight.”

 

Jack McCune is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jxm1237@psu.edu.

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