Lady sluggers win 3, drop 2

By LAWRENCE R.V. POTTER
Collegian Sports Writer

Two weeks ago, the Penn State softball team faced Robert Morris in Holuba Hall for two six-inning scrimmages. The Lady Lions handled the Colonials, winning 2-0 and 4-2.

But yesterday, when the two teams met again in the East Carolina Tournament, it was the Colonials who had the upper hand. Despite committing six errors in the game, Robert Morris beat the Lady Lions, 7-5.

Robert Morris had nine hits to Penn State's seven. The Colonials left only three runners on base, while the Lady Lions left eight runners stranded. Lady Lion hurlers Misty Hackett and Jennifer Hippo combined to strike out four Colonial batters, but could not silence all of the Colonial bats.

"Robert Morris hit the ball today," Lady Lion Coach Sue Rankin said, "and they hit it pretty hard. We had runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and couldn't hit them in. We have to be more productive with runners in scoring position."

While the Lady Lions were not able to score needed runs in the late innings, they did collect seven hits on the day. Sophomore Susannah Forde led the way with two singles and freshman Hippo helped her own cause with a double.

Despite ending the tournament with a loss to the Colonials, Penn State (4-3) finished the weekend with a 3-2 record. On Saturday, the Lady Lions won both of their games as they blasted St. Francis 10-1 and held off Towson State 4-3. Friday morning, Penn State split its two contests, first losing 3-0 to Campbell and then rebounding to squeak by Big Ten foe Northwestern, 2-1.

Against St. Francis, the Lady Lions brought out the lumber, scoring 10 runs and pounding out 14 hits. Leading the way were sophomore second baseman Marissa Marucci, who had a homerun, and junior shortstop Val Serpico, who had a team-high four runs batted in and a homerun.

"We faced them before and knew the pitching wasn't very good," Marucci said. "We knew we would be able to go out and hit well, and that's what we did."

Later on Saturday, the Lady Lions had a much closer game with Towson State. But like the St. Francis game, Penn State used its bats powerfully and efficiently, scoring four runs on six hits. Leading the way was freshman first baseman Shannon Salsburg, who had a homerun and two runs batted in.

"I'm just glad to do whatever is needed," Salsburg said after Saturday's victories. "The runner was there, and I'm glad I was able to hit her in."

Against Towson State, junior Gypsy Gooding pitched four innings and allowed only one run in picking up the victory. Junior Heidi Hanna earned the save while pitching the next three innings and surrendering only two runs. After pitching the entire game, Hanna earned a win on Friday in the Lady Lions' one-run victory over Northwestern.

Overall, beginning the season with a split against East Carolina last Thursday and going 3-2 over the weekend was a big plus for the Lady Lions. They were able to hit the ball well in most games and also got good pitching, all of which made Rankin happy.

"We accomplished what we wanted to," Rankin said. "We got to play ball and get dirt on our uniforms and take fly balls out of the sky. We played pretty well, and this gives us confidence heading into the rest of our season."