Cat burglars
Base stealing leading to wins for Lady Sluggers

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

Call her the running woman.

Robin Petrini, Penn State's third-year softball coach renowned for her emphasis on the running game, loves to see her team steal bases.

That was evident again Wednesday during a doubleheader against Ohio University. Petrini's Lady Lions swiped 12 bases en route to a two-game sweep of the Bobcats, upping their record to 15-11 this season.

"We are always going to steal bases," Petrini said. "Then we don't have to waste outs sacrificing -- you have to get runners to second base if you want to score."

Her strategy has paid off thus far, as the Lions have won 14 of their last 19 games after opening the season 1-6. The running game has been important in the rebound.

In the Lions' 11 losses, the team stole 12 bases. In the 15 wins by Petrini's team, that statistic jumps to 53 steals.

"Speed -- that's what Robin recruits," said Kelly Kovach, a first-year assistant with the Lions. "She gets them here, then lets them go loose out there on the base paths."

Petrini's squad hopes to continue its thievery at 1 p.m. tomorrow in a doubleheader against Iowa at Lady Lion Field. The Hawkeyes and Lions are scheduled for another scuffle at noon Sunday at the same place.

Penn State, 2-23 all time versus the Hawkeyes, went 1-2 last season against its Big Ten rival. All three contests were decided by one run.

Senior left fielder Jodie Ricciardi said the running game likely will play a major role in this weekend's games, especially if last year's close contests are replayed this season.

"I think (the running game) definitely is important in every game," Ricciardi said. "But I think it's going to be more important this weekend if we're in some close games."

Ricciardi has some background in base thefts. She currently ranks first on Penn State's all-time steals list with 81 in her career, and trails only freshman phenom Gina Bianchini on this year's leader board. Bianchini racked up five steals in the doubleheader against Ohio to push her season total to 17, one ahead of Ricciardi.

Likely starting pitchers this weekend will be junior Jaci Kalp and sophomores Tanis Ambelang and Kelly McCann. Ambelang, 7-5 this season, and Kalp, 6-5 thus far, both fired complete-game victories over the Bobcats.

Ambelang said the battle on the base paths has been a key all season.

"We have a lot of speed this year," Ambelang said. "And coach Petrini is trying to use that speed to get some runners in scoring position and score some runs.

"That really puts a lot of pressure on the defense."

Running game or not, and regardless of all-time records, tri-captain Ricciardi said her squad can hang with the Hawkeyes.

"We're going to run, yeah," Ricciardi said. "Either way, we're capable of beating them.

"Everything's clicking for us right now."