Penn State softball squad sweeps Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Penn State softball team completed a three-game series sweep of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights March 25 to March 27 in a conference showdown in Piscataway, N.J.

Penn State won game one 12-8, won game two 4-1 in nine innings and won game three 12-1 in five innings.

The Nittany Lions extended their winning streak to four with the win on March 27, tracing back to their 8-5 victory over Robert Morris on March 23. Penn State softball leveled back even to .500 on the regular season (14-14) and improved their road record to 4-5. The Nittany Lions have a 3-0-conference record with the sweep, as this series was their first conference event this season.

In game one, Nittany Lion third baseman Shelby Miller had three RBI’s, while first baseman Macy Jones went 2 for 3 with two RBI’s, with one of the RBI’s being herself as she hit a solo homer in the first inning off of Rutgers starter Whitney Jones. Madison Seifert was the winning pitcher for Penn State, who improved her season record to 3-4. Seifert pitched 3.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on 11 hits, striking out two batters.

Catcher Alyssa Vanderveer added two RBI’s in game one for Penn State, as she went deep for a 2-run homer in the seventh to put Penn State up 12-3. Penn State put up a four-spot in the seventh inning. Rutgers pushed five runs across in the bottom half of the final inning of play, but it wasn’t enough as Penn State cruised to a series-opening 12-8 victory.

In game two, Penn State beat Rutgers 4-1, but remained in a 1-1 tie with the Scarlet Knights, which forced the game into extra innings, where the game was decided in the ninth inning.

Penn State scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to break the tie and take a 4-1 lead. Rutgers could not respond in the bottom of the ninth, and the Nittany Lions went up 2-0 in the series.

Pinch hitter Tori DuBois hit a clutch, go-ahead RBI single to centerfield in the ninth, which scored centerfielder Lexi Knief and gave Penn State a 2-1 lead. Reina Furuya followed that up in the next at-bat with an RBI bases-loaded walk to provide Penn State with an insurance run, putting them up 3-1. Macy Jones followed suit with an RBI bases-loaded walk, which scored right fielder Erin Pond to give Penn State a three-run, 4-1 lead.

Marliana Laubach was the winning pitcher, leveling her record to 5-5 on the regular season. Laubach went the distance for Penn State, pitching all nine innings, striking out four and cruising her way to a complete game victory. The only blemish on her stat sheet was the lone second inning run she allowed, when Rutgers infielder Jordan Whitley stole home.

In game three of the series, Penn State banged out 12 runs on a season-high 15 hits, and cruised to a 12-1 five-inning victory to complete the three-game sweep of Rutgers.

Second baseman Molly Sorenson collected three hits, three RBI’s and two runs scored, while Shelby Miller had two hits, three RBI’s and three runs scored. The winning pitcher in game three was Madison Seifert, as she earned her second win of the series, pitching three shutout innings and striking out five batters coming on in relief in the third inning for Penn State starter Jessica Cummings, who pitched the first two innings.

Penn State will play a three-game conference series versus the Michigan State Spartans Friday, April 1 thru Sunday, April 3.