Penn State softball falls to Purdue, faces new test in B1G Tournament

On Sunday, Penn State softball played its regular season finale against Purdue in West Lafayette. After a weekend of dramatic victories, the Nittany Lions had the favor returned to them in game three of the series, losing a heartbreaker to the Boilermakers, 2-1. Although Penn State had already won its fourth straight series against a conference opponent coming into the day, the loss did impact the Lions’ seeding for the B1G Tournament, creating a new test in the week ahead. 

Purdue walks it off to end regular season

Penn State immediately got a run on the board in the top of the first inning with a sacrifice fly from Kaitlyn Morrison, scoring Maggie Finnegan to go up 1-0. The Lions held the Boilermakers scoreless for most of the game, aided by Bailey Parshalls’s nine strikeouts and one hit allowed through six innings. 

However, the stellar performance crumbled for Parshall and the Lions in the seventh inning. A solo shot from the Boilermakers, only Parshall’s second hit allowed of the day, would tie the game at one. Parshall was then relived by Kylee Lingenfelter, the hero of Saturday’s game. However, Lingenfelter gave up an RBI single, allowing Purdue to walk it off with a 2-1 victory. The loss marked Lingenfelter’s fifth of the season.

A fresh face in B1G Tournament action

With the loss, Penn State softball finished B1G play at 11-11 this season. As a result, the Nittany Lions fell to the seventh seed in the B1G Tournament, which begins on Wednesday in Champaign, Illinois. The Lions will face off against the 10-seed Michigan in the opening round. This opening matchup will be a fresh look for both sides, as Nittany Lions and the Wolverines didn’t play each other in conference action this season. If the Lions win, they will take on second-seeded Indiana on Thursday. Stay tuned to Basic Blues Nation for updates on Penn State softball’s B1G Tournament run.

? The 2023 #B1GSoftball Tournament Bracket is set!

12 Big Ten teams will make their way to Illinois' Eichelberger Field for this week's tournament (May 10-13) with all 11 games televised live on @BigTenNetwork and the @FOXSports app!

? https://t.co/oaRDHT8V7B pic.twitter.com/WNAPq0jVIX

— Big Ten Softball (@B1Gsoftball) May 7, 2023

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