Penn State Softball Clicks on All Cylinders to Defeat Purdue
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State used an offensive outburst to defeat Purdue 8-1 to sweep a doubleheader at Beard Field on Saturday afternoon.
Kylee Lingenfelter was given the start for the Nittany Lions and the first inning did not treat her kindly.
Echazarreta, who started the first game of the doubleheader in the circle, drove in Kiara Dillon, who had reached on a bunt, on a single to give Purdue an early one run lead.
Lingenfelter would settle into the circle giving head coach Clarisa Crowell’s squad an efficient seven-inning performance.
“She’s very efficient,” Crowell said. “She’s a tough kid and she came back and was just gritty and she just did a great job.”
Purdue would not have the lead for long however, as an Ally Kurland walk gave Penn State a runner on base early. With two outs in the inning, Lexie Black, the clean-up hitter for the blue and white, drove a double off of the top of the wall to even the score.
Brenna Smith gave Purdue one clean inning of work in the second before the Nittany Lion lineup started to come alive.
Cassie Lindmark added to the power display that Penn State had in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Lindmark drove a frozen-rope homerun over the centerfield wall for a 2-1 lead.
Lindmark got the scoring going, but credited the offensive outburst to the entire lineup.
“When we’re on fire, everyone’s an RBI machine out there,” Lindmark said. “That’s what I love about this.”
Penn State was able to get its bats going in the bottom of the fourth as Mel Coombs and Black recorded hits. Lilia Crouthamel gave the ball a drive, but Dillon was able to settle under it to end the Nittany Lion threat.
Purdue had its own threat in the next half-inning with two runners on after a hit by pitch and a mental error by Michelle Leone. But as Lingenfelter did all afternoon, she bent but never broke.
Lingenfelter allowed a lot of contact, only recording one strikeout in the outing, but was able to trust her defense throughout the entire contest.
Penn State continued to put the offensive pressure on Smith as Kurland and Maggie Finnegan recorded hits for the Nittany Lions. The contact for Penn State turned into speed as Finnegan stole third base and Claire Swedberg, who pinch ran for Kurland, stole second base.
This set up a Lauren Marcotte bloop single that barely escaped the infield to score Finnegan and advanced Swedberg.
Echazarreta came to the relief of Jones, who finished the game allowing three earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. Echazarreta got Black to foul out to the catcher Kaeley Hallada, which would strand Swedberg at third base.
Penn State came back up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning where its offense poured it on the Boilermakers and forced two pitching changes within the inning.
Lindmark, Crouthamel and Liana Jones drove in runs to get the inning started before Kurland stepped to the plate and delivered the last blow. Kurland drove in Maddie Gordon and Finnegan to put the blue and white ahead by seven runs.
Lingenfelter trotted out to the circle to finish what she started and did just that. She went one-two-three to finish the game and secure Penn State’s third straight victory.
Penn State will look to get the sweep of Purdue on Sunday afternoon before traveling to Ohio State for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 5.
Justin Ciavolella is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.
