State College, Pa.- The Penn State Lady Lion softball team handed Illinois a 7-0 loss on Saturday evening, improving their record to 20-15. The win was thanks to tremendous pitching by Kelly McCann, 10 hits and no errors by the Lady Lions.

Senior Kelly McCann (Pittsburgh, Pa.) pitched a full seven innings, giving up just one hit. She struck out six batters and only gave up one walk in the game. McCann improves to 13-8 on the season.

In Penn State's first turn at the plate, Illinois pitcher Amanda Fortune hit two batters, one of which resulted in a run for Penn State. With the bases loaded and a hard hit by senior Jenny Briz (Palo Alto, Ca.) to shortstop, senior Allison Medellin (San Pablo, Ca.) took off and slid in safe at home to give Penn State a 2-0 lead.

At the bottom of the second Penn State added two more runs. After senior Karen Gulini (Easton, Pa.) had singled to shortstop and then stole second, Medellin singled down the left field line to send Gulini home. Medellin was then sent home on the next play when sophomore Erin Norton (Orange, Ca.) doubled to center field.

In the bottom of the sixth, two pitching changes later by the Fighting Illini, Penn State sophomore Megan Humphrey (San Diego, Ca.) reached first on a near perfect bunt, to give Humphrey her second hit for the game. Two plays later she scored on an overthrow to third by Illinois' catcher, Janna Sartini. Then senior Colleen Kersey (Greensburg, Pa.) sent a shot to right-center field to get a double and two RBI's.

Illinois tried to come back in the top of the seventh, but had three consecutive ground outs to the infield, to end the game 7-0.

The two teams will play again on Sunday, April 8, at 12:00 noon for the second game of the series.