Penn State softball makes program history, sweeps double-header

On Saturday, the Penn State softball team swept a two-game doubleheader and made program history in the process. Here is everything that went down.

Game 1: Penn State softball 11, Delaware 1

Penn State softball struck early in this game. In the top of the third inning, they loaded the bases and capitalized. An RBI single from second baseman Melody Coombs, along with a wild pitch, put PSU up 2-0 early in this game.

Delaware was then able to answer with a run from an RBI double. 2-1 Penn State softball.

In the fifth inning, two consecutive triples by Maggie Finnegan and Lexie Black added another run for PSU.  Kaitlyn Morrison then doubled, allowing Black to score from third and make the score 4-1 Nittany Lions.

The Lions added a 5th run after loading bases in the sixth inning, and Kathryn Rex walked one in. 5-1 PSU. They kept adding more runs to make it 8-1 PSU after a 2 RBI single from Kaitlyn Morrison and an RBI single from Marcotte. DH Michelle Leone then doubled to score a runner and make it 9-1, and an error from the next at-bat scored Marcotte from third and Leone from second to make it 11-1 PSU. 

Penn State picked up the win in 6 innings due to a dominant outing from Bailey Parshall (6K, 3H, 1R), along with phenomenal offense all around, leading them to a final score of 11-1. 

Game 2: Penn State 8, Norfolk State 1

The Spartans of Norfolk State struck first in the first with an RBI double.  1-0 Norfolk State.

The third inning was when Penn State started to pour on runs.  They took the lead in the game 2-1 after an RBI double from Lydia Coleman and an RBI single from Maggie Finnegan.  A 2 RBI double from Kathryn Rex then made it 4-1, and then another RBI double from Kaitlyn Morrison made the score 5-1.  They then would score their sixth run of the inning from a SAC fly courtesy of Lauren Marcotte.  6-1 PSU.  

Coombs would score in the fourth on a fielding error to add to PSU’s run count, 7-1 PSU. 

Penn State would only score one more run in the seventh inning via an RBI single from Morgan Farrah, scoring Maddie Gordon and getting the final score to 8-1 Nittany Lions, completing the doubleheader sweep for the day.

Pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter pitched the complete game and allowed a single unearned run.  However, the impressive feat that she achieved (and what will be one of the best individual accomplishments of the season) is that she struck out 17 batters, which broke the Penn State softball program record for a single game. It’s definitely right to say that history was made in Virginia today.

She is just incredible!??@kylee_lingenfelter

Kylee Lingenfelter breaks the single game record for strikeouts with 17 K’s against Norfolk State! ??#WeAre pic.twitter.com/BNg1KSU4qv

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) March 5, 2023

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