Charlottesville, Va., Mar. 24, 2002 ¨C Penn State softball dropped its final two games of the Hoo¡¯s Who Tournament to host Virginia, 4-2 and 5-2, on Sunday in Charlottesville, Va. The Nittany Lions finish second at the tournament posting a 4-2 record over the three days. The Cavaliers win the tournament going 6-0. Penn State falls to 12-13 on the season while UVA improves to 28-10. The Lions were plagued by errors, combining for six errors over the two games.
The Cavaliers took advantage of two early mistakes by the Nittany Lions. Penn State committed two errors in the first inning and Virginia grabbed a 1-0 lead to start the game. UVA then tacked on another run on another costly PSU error to push the lead to 2-0 after two innings.
The two teams traded runs in the next two innings to make it a one run game after the third inning.
Junior Erin Norton (Orange, Calif./El Modena) led off the bottom of the second with a double to centerfield. She was then sent home by junior Jackie Dabrowski¡¯s (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) RBI-single, cutting the lead to 2-1. The Cavaliers responded in the top of the third, pushing the lead back up to two runs, 3-1. Virginia¡¯s Kristen Dennis hit a deep fly ball to centerfield scoring teammate Ruby Rojas to put UVA ahead, 3-1.
The Lions would not be discouraged. With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, senior captain Jennifer Tripken (Middeltown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) hit her second home run of the weekend to bring Penn State to within one run again, 3-2. But the Cavaliers would tack on another run in the fourth inning, making the score 4-2 and the Lions would not be able to catch up the rest of the way. The four runs allowed is the most sophomore pitcher Marisa Hanson (Victoria, Texas/Victoria) has allowed all season. She has given up just six earned runs in 67.2 innings pitched.
In game two, the Lions took the lead first. Junior Megan Humphrey (San Diego, Calif./Mount Carmel) sent the ball sailing over the right field fence, putting Penn State ahead, 1-0. In the bottom of the third inning, Virginia strung together three hits with two outs to take the lead for the first time in the game, 3-1. UVA¡¯s Heather Field tripled down the right field line, scoring two runs. Stephanie Calhoun then drove in another with a double to right field, extending the Cavalier lead to 3-1.
UVA put to more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the game out of reach for the Nittany Lions. Penn State¡¯s third error of the game cost it a run then an RBI-single by Rojas scored another swelling the lead to 5-1.
A triple by Tripken and a Norton single scored a run for the Nittany Lions, 5-2, in the sixth inning but it was not enough as the Cavaliers were able to shutdown the Lions attack the rest of the way. Penn State scattered nine hits while Virginia posted seven. The three Lion errors was the difference in the game as UVA was perfect in the field.
Penn State will come home for the first time this season to host St. Joseph¡¯s in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 27 at 4 p.m.
