TALLAHASSEE, Fla.; March 8, 2004 - Penn State's softball team dominated Connecticut Monday, 8-0, in six innings. The Lions raise their record to 5-11 on the season, including wins in their last four games. Connecticut is now 2-9.

To begin the first inning, freshman Meghan Wolfer (Northampton, Pa.) fired a hard-hit ball off UCONN third baseman Holly Calcagno¨ªs glove and reached first safely. Junior Leigh Murray (Fairfax Station, Va.) then singled to put runners on first and second for the Lions. Shortstop Barbie Pierce (Citrus Heights, Calif.) reached on a fielder¨ªs choice after Calcagno dropped the ball at third, helping Wolfer arrive safely. Wolfer scored on a single from Katie Stauffer(Manassas, Va.), followed by a bases-loaded walk for Kate Gentile(Endicott, N.Y.) that scored Murray to give the Lions a 2-0 advantage.

Penn State struck again in the second inning, with freshman outfielder Jen Williams (Stillwater, Okla.) reaching on a single and stealing her way to second. Wolfer¨ªs hot bat this weekend continued, with a bunt that she reached safely on and moved Williams to third base. Murray hit a sacrifice fly to leftfield, scoring Williams to make it 3-0. The RBI was Murray¨ªs fifth of the spring break trip.

Scoring was idle until the fifth inning when Pierce drew a walk that junior outfielder Scarlett Neal (Huntingdon, Calif.) followed with a single. Neal stole second during the next at-bat, triggering an Connecticut error on the throw to second base and allowing Kari Lucas (State College, Pa.), who was pinch running for Pierce, to score. Penn State led 4-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Redshirt-junior Missy Beseres (Golden Valley, Minn.) continued to pitch well, striking-out nine batters in the game and getting her third win of the year. Penn State got the first three batters in the fifth out for Connecticut, sending the game into the sixth with a 4-0 PSU lead.

The Lions blew the game open in the sixth, scoring four more runs and eventually getting the outs needed to end the game an inning early with an 8-0 Nittany Lion victory. Third baseman Destinie Chavez (San Leandro, Calif.) started off the inning with her first double of the year and eventually scored. Junior first baseman Steph Viola (Minersville, Pa.) reached on an error and was hit home by Williams, who eventually scored herself thanks to a single from Pierce. The score was an 8-0 Penn State advantage after the sixth and would end that way, marking the first time this season Penn State run-ruled a team.

Penn State continues spring break in Tallahassee Tuesday, March 9, and will play at Florida A&M at 2 p.m.

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