Penn State Softball Game Grades vs Bucknell
On a record-breaking night in Happy Valley, Penn State made quick work of Bucknell in a 9-0 win in five innings.
The Nittany Lions were dominant in all facets of the game. Let's take a look at how each positional group fared.
Batting: A+
Score early and score often. That may have been the motto that the Penn State hitters used en route to its win over Bucknell.
The Nittany Lions got the offense started right away as leadoff hitter Melody Coombs reached on a walk. Coombs would use two Bison errors to come around to score just a few moments later.
Coombs wasn’t the only Nittany Lion to walk in the inning as three others also worked a base on balls that assisted in getting Maddie Gordon, who reached on the error that allowed Coombs to score, to come around for the second run.
After playing small ball in the first frame, the Nittany Lions would show their power in the final three turns at the plate. Gordon, Lexie Black and Michelle Leone all slugged home runs to combine for the final seven runs that gave the Nittany Lions the 9-0 cushion.
Pitching: A+
It’s fitting that the player that wears No. 1 on the back of her jersey has also become No. 1 in the Penn State record books.
Bailey Parshall set two Penn State records on Tuesday evening with the first being in the first inning. The Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania native recorded career strikeout No. 746 on her second strikeout of the opening frame to pass Missy Besere for the top spot.
Parshall would finish with six strikeouts, which has her sitting at 750 career strikeouts, over five shutout innings, which led to the other record. With her seventh shutout of the season, the fifth-year senior passed Jackie Hill with her 21st career shutout.
Fielding: A-
Even though Parshall recorded six of the 15 outs by herself, the fielders stayed ready for the other nine. Despite one error, the Nittany Lion fielders recorded five outs on the ground and four in the air to help their ace.
Leone recorded the only error for the blue and white as she couldn’t field a ball cleanly at third base. That error came with the Nittany Lions already up 7-0 in the top of the fourth inning but was erased as Parshall worked a flyout to 2022 Big Ten All-Defensive Team member Lilia Crouthamel.
Coaching: A+
Big Ten play has been tough for the Nittany Lions, but coming off of a series sweep against conference opponent Rutgers over the weekend, they had no excuse to not win. The Bison came into Tuesday’s contest 10-25 on the year and losers of their last five.
In its final out-of-conference game of the year, the blue and white was more than ready and made quick work of the Bison in five innings and extended its winning streak to four games.
For Clarisa Crowell and company, they’ll need to keep this momentum as they travel to Maryland this weekend with the Big Ten tournament approaching quickly.
Justin Ciavolella is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.
