“Swing, Swing, Swing”: Nittany Lion Bats Spark 8-3 Series-Sweeping Win
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After two shutout victories in a doubleheader Friday, Penn State’s bats woke up in an 8-3 victory over Rutgers Sunday.
The offensive firepower began in the 2nd inning when the 2-0 pitch to left fielder Maggie Finnegan sailed over the wall in left for a two-run blast.
“When I was in the box this weekend, I was just ‘swing, swing, swing,’” Finnegan said. “It was green light until the very end.”
In the next inning, two batters hit by a pitch and a walk loaded the bases, forcing the Scarlet Knights to take a mound visit.
Starting pitcher Raimy Gamsby’s first pitch to Maddie Gordon was sent into left-center for a grand slam, the first Penn State grand slam in four years.
Gordon’s home run, her second in as many games, increased the Nittany Lion lead to six and sent the Beard Field home crowd into a frenzy.
However, the visitors would make things interesting in the top of the 4th. Rutgers responded, with RBI singles by Morgan Smith and Maddie Lawson cutting the lead to 6-2.
The Lawson hit chased Kylee Lingenfelter, Penn State’s starting pitcher, out of the game.
Fortunately for the blue and white, Bailey Parshall worked her way out of the jam. Despite giving up an RBI single to Taylor Fawcett, she struck out two Scarlet Knights, preserving a 6-3 lead for the home team.
Parshall credited a new pitching approach for her success.
“We’ve kind of changed the mojo for me a little bit this year, working more down in the zone, more off the plate,” she said. “We’ve definitely increased the amount of changeups I’ve thrown. That’s something a lot of teams haven’t seen.”
The Nittany Lion bats tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. After Melody Coombs was hit by a pitch and Liana Jones singled, Emily Maddock’s double to right stayed fair, scoring both runners.
Pitching with a five-run lead, Parshall did not take her foot off the gas.
The fifth-year senior put down nine of her final 10 batters, with a Peyton Lincavage single being the only Rutgers hit in the last three innings. The “Queen B” capped off her 3 2/3 innings of work by striking out the side in the top of the 7th.
The win meant Penn State swept a conference opponent for the first time this season.
For head coach Clarisa Crowell, the “huge” achievement spoke to the resiliency of her team.
“Sometimes when you don’t get the results, it’s hard to continue to believe and stay confident,” Crowell said. “For us to have beaten a very good team over there in Rutgers and get the sweep is awesome and great momentum going into this week.”
Penn State will look to build on the series sweep when it faces Bucknell at home Tuesday night.
Will Duerksen is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email wdd5066@psu.edu.
