Penn State Softball Downs Rider, Wins 2nd Game of Day

Story posted March 20, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Molly White

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State came into its second contest of the day fresh off an extra innings walk-off win over Cornell, looking to continue its win streak in its game against Rider.

The Nittany Lions were 12-11 on the season, and Rider at 8-6.

Fans were back at Beard stadium for the first time since 2019, which was a huge momentum boost for the Nittany Lions and was a big contribution in the team's success Saturday.

Senior ace Bailey Parshall started off in the circle for the blue and white following her exceptional relief performance in their win just before over Cornell. She had four strikeouts coming in from that game and certainly maintained her momentum.

Parshall started off the game strong and struck out the first three batters she faced in nine pitches.

On the mound for the Broncos was sophomore Anna-Marie Groskritz, who has an ERA of 3.63 on the season.

Rider and Penn State battled for the lead for the first four innings of the game, each team playing exceptional defense working, looking to take the lead. But, neither team was able to get a runner past second.

Penn State struck first in the fifth inning with Liana Jones up to bat and Lilia Crouthamel at first. Jones came in clutch with a sacrifice bunt getting herself out at first but advancing Crouthamel to second, putting her in scoring position.

Cassie Lindmark drilled a hit to center field, scoring Crouthamel and getting herself to second to put Penn State up by one.

Nittany Lions power hitter Ally Kern came in with an RBI single, increasing Penn State's lead to 2-0.

While the Broncos put up a good fight, they were unable to gain any momentum over the Nittany Lions, leaving them with no runs on the day.

Parshall retired the last eight batters she faced to close out the game, securing the win for Penn State, with a three-hit shutout.

In a postgame interview done with Bailey Parshall, she talked about her success on the day, as she totaled 10 total strikeouts between games securing two wins for the Nittany Lions.

“You’ve just got to go in there and have the mindset to get the outs to get out of the inning, then have the offense get up and start the mojo so that I don’t have too much pressure on me when I’m starting the game,” Parshall said.

Parshall leads her team with nine wins on their season so far, statistically earning herself the role of the ace. Saturday’s game against Rider was her seventh shutout of the season.

Penn State also dominated on offense, securing itself the lead. It was the core of its defense that carried the blie and white from there, as the infield did an exceptional job moving the ball quickly and efficiently around the diamond getting outs in crucial situations. Key players such as Melody Coombs, Cassie Lindmark and Maggie Finnegan made great catches on the day.

Crouthamel had a great day on both offense and defense as she worked to get the Nittany Lions in critical scoring positions as well as making great catches and quick throws to keep Rider off the board throughout the game.

The Nittany Lions, who are 2-0 in this weekend's tournament and 13-11 on the season, look to carry this momentum through the weekend and down the line as they approach Big Ten play.


Molly White is a second year majoring in kinesiology. To contact her email mkw5766@psu.edu.