After moving its initial game day from Friday to Saturday, Penn State geared up to play its matchup against Canisius.
The blue and white outmatched the white and gold 7-0 to wrap up the Penn State Softball Invitational at home.
Coach Clarisa Crowell started super senior Bailey Parshall to pitch against the Golden Griffins, and she did her thing, closing the start of the first and giving up zero hits.
Parshall would go on to give up one hit to the opposition, preventing them from earning a run throughout the game.
Crowell said that she did a great job with executing the plan but knows it wouldn’t have been possible without some helping hands.
“That’s a really good team over there,” Crowell said. “Bailey doesn’t do that unless the defense plays well behind her.”
Starting off the bottom of the first scorchin’ hot, senior Kaitlyn Morrison only needed one opportunity to hit her shot out of the stadium, bringing home junior Mel Coombs.
At the end of the first, the Nittany Lions brought the heat, leading 2-0 against the Griffins.
Parshall was on a roll throughout the second, racking up two strikeouts. She added to her previous two from the first, garnering four in just two innings.
When it was her time at bat, junior Liana Jones went yard in the bottom of the second, sending the ball over the fence and following in Morrison’s footsteps.
Causing an error from Canisius in the bottom of the fourth, right fielder Maggie Finnegan rallied home senior Lexie Black.
The fielding woes continued for the Griffs when Alexis Churchill’s pitch slipped past the catcher, allowing Penn State’s runners to slide for home safely.
It benefited the blue and white, securing two more runs and causing Canisius to take out Churchill and replace her with sophomore Kate Wiggins.
Penn State softball pitcher Bailey Parshall pitches during the game against Indiana on Friday, April 15, 2022, at Beard Field in University Park, Pa. Penn State won 6-0.
Wiggins didn’t have much experience behind her going into the circle, with an ERA of 5.25 in nine and one-third innings pitched this season, but she could close out the inning without giving up any more runs.
At the end of the fourth, the Nittany Lions secured six runs and five hits with the Griffins sitting at zero runs and zero hits.
The pure dominance of Penn State’s hitters were on full display throughout the game and was a major factor in the team’s win.
Parshall had a great day in the office, pitching nine strikeouts with only one hit, and with the offense on fire, it made her job easier.
“Just knowing they have my back makes it so much easier for me to pitch freely,” Parshall said. "I don’t have any doubt when I go out there.”
Along with the offense, the defense made a gritty play toward the top of the sixth when Nicole Rivait tried to run to second. The outfield hurriedly caught the ball and threw it to second, getting Rivait out with great ball movement.
The offense continued to pave its way against the opposition, tallying a run in the bottom of the sixth from a hit from junior Amanda Mack, bringing home super senior Morgan Farrah.
After losing against Cornell on Thursday, the blue and white seemed to use that game for fuel, re-energizing itself for Saturday.
Penn State seemed to enjoy the game and let it take hold rather than take it too seriously like it did previously. While someone was up to bat, the dugout would scream their name and tie it to a song.
Crowell talked about how the team's chemistry motivates their teammates to go out and win games, having fun while doing so.
“You've heard our team and the dugout energy,” Crowell said. “That’s just culturally what we’re about with Penn State softball.”
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