FULLERTON, Calif., March 17, 2007 ¡ª Penn State dropped a 6-5 decision to Louisiana-Lafayette in a back-and-forth contest. The Lions will take on Big Ten rival Michigan in a consolation game tonight at 9:15 p.m. ET.

Louisiana-Lafayette took an early 2-0 lead when junior Holly Tankersley belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.

Penn State closed the gap to 2-1 in the top of the second. Danielle Kinley (Carlsbad, Calif.) started the inning with a single to right center field. Catcher Hollee Haines (Riverside, Calif.) then had a sacrifice bunt to move Kinley to second. Kayce Zielinski (Arlington, Texas) then hit a single to advance Kinley to third. Kinley scored Penn State's first run after Jenn Reynolds (Clovis, Calif.) hit a high sacrifice fly.

The Ragin' Cajuns brought home one run in the bottom of the second after a bases loaded walk brought Melissa Verde home.

The Nittany Lions caught fire in the fourth inning and Kinley belted her second home run of the season over the left field fence to make the score 3-2. Zielinski then stepped up and nailed a single into left field. The next batter, Reynolds then smacked a two-run shot over the fence to give the Lions a 4-3 edge.

After Louisiana-Lafayette tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, Penn State took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth when Ashley Esparza (San Pedro, Calif.) cracked a double to right center field to score Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.).

The Ragin' Cajuns battled back and took a 6-5 lead they would not give up when Tankersley hit her second homer deep over the right field fence to score two runs.