STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 18, 2003 - The Penn State softball team came back from a 5-1 deficit in the second inning to defeat Michigan State, 6-5, on Friday evening at Nittany Lion Field. Led by senior Erin Norton (Orange, Calif./El Modena) and junior Erica Greenberg (Irvine, Calif./Calvary Chapel) who each went 3-for-3 in the game, the Nittany Lions recorded 10 hits to defeat the top pitcher in the league, Jessica Beech.
Penn State (23-15, 5-4 Big Ten) fell behind early, allowing two runs in the first and three in the second, to trail 5-1. The Spartans (27-12, 6-4) scored two runs on a two-out solo-blast from Elizabeth Peterson and an RBI-single from Brittney Green in the first inning to jump ahead, 2-1.
The Lions cut the lead to 2-1 when senior Gina Bianchini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) reached on an error, advancing all the way to second base, to open the bottom half of the first inning then eventually scored on a soft hit to left field from Norton.
Again with two outs, the Spartans added to their lead when Peterson drove in two more runs with a deep hit to straight-away center. The third run of the inning was driven in by Natalie Furrow to make the score 5-1.
The Lions began chipping away at the lead, scoring two in the bottom half of the inning to come to within 5-3. Sophomore Leigh Murray (Fairfax Station, Va./W.T. Woodson) led off with a slow roller towards first base which the pitcher Beech nor the first baseman Furrow could make a play on. Murray was then sacrificed over to second base and reached on a Greenberg base hit. With runners on second and third base, junior Barbie Pierce (Citrus Heights, Calif./El Camino) hit a line drive to left field scoring Murray. Left fielder Angel Merren mishandled the ball, however, also allowing senior Jackie Dabrowski (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), who was running for Greenberg, to come home.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Penn State got some more help from Greenberg as she belted a shot to left field for her first home run of the season, making the score 5-4.
Michigan State threatened to extend its lead in the top of the fifth inning. Furrow led off with a double to center field. A sacrifice bunt sent Carrie Cousino, who ran for Furrow, to third with just one out. A hard line drive to center field looked as if it would be enough for Cousino to score, but Bianchini threw her out at the plate to keep the score at 5-4.
With two outs and two strikes against her in the bottom of the fifth, Murray battled off several pitches and won the struggle, hitting a line drive to center field, scoring Norton, who reached on a single, and tying the game at 5-5.
Greenberg led off the bottom of the sixth with a double down the left field line. Another Penn State sacrifice, this time from Pierce put Greenberg on third base representing the go-ahead run. MSU's Beech forced a pop up for the second out, but sophomore Mandy Nuxoll's (Kelso, Wash./Kelso) perfectly-placed hit to left field scored Greenberg to put the Lions ahead for the first time in the game.
The Lions were able to hang on despite Michigan State's attempt in the top of the seventh, putting a runner on first and third with two outs. Junior pitcher Marisa Hanson (Victoris, Texas/Victoria) was able to close out the game and secure the win forcing a ground out to Nuxoll at short who completed the game-ending play.
"It was a great win and a great team effort," said head coach Robin Petrini. "They continued to fight and fight the whole game when they could have easily thrown in the towel. It was a good effort across the board against a solid Michgan State team."
Penn State's 10 hits were the most in a Big Ten game this season and were also the most hits Beech had given up all season. She entered the game with a league-leading 0.76 earned run average.
Hanson earned the win, coming into the contest in the fifth inning, and improved to 12-7 on the season. Beech struck out six batters in the loss and fell to 20-5.
Besides Norton and Greenberg, Murray also recorded multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3.
The Spartans had three hitters with multiple hits as well, led by Furrow who was 3-for-4.
Game two of the series takes place on Saturday, April 19, at 12 p.m. at Nittany Lion Field.
Michigan State vs Penn State (Apr 18, 2003) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Box score (NCAA) The Automated ScoreBook Michigan State at Penn State Apr 18, 2003 at University Park, Pa. (Nittany Lion Field) Michigan State 5 (27-12,6-4 BIG TEN) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Lewis, Sandy cf.......... 4 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 Beech, Jessica p......... 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 Peterson, Elizabeth dh... 3 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 Wallace, Tiffany rf...... 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Furrow, Natalie 1b....... 4 0 3 1 0 0 3 2 0 Cousino, Carrie pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Green, Brittney 3b....... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 5 Hurtado, Janette 2b...... 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 2 Hauxhurst, Lacy c........ 3 1 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 Schick, Margaret ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 Golden, Robyn ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Merren, Angel lf/pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 32 5 12 5 3 4 18 9 12 Penn State 6 (23-15,5-4 BIG TEN) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Bianchini, Gina cf....... 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Nuxoll, Mandy ss......... 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 4 1 Galigher, Kelley dh...... 4 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 Norton, Erin 1b.......... 3 1 3 1 0 0 9 1 0 Humphrey, Megan lf....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Murray, Leigh rf......... 3 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 Chavez, Destinie 3b...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 Greenberg, Erica c....... 3 2 3 1 0 0 6 0 0 Dabrowski, Jackie pr.... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pierce, Barbie 2b........ 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 0 Viola, Steph pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Skelly, Tina p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Riggleman, Shana p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hanson, Marisa p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 24 6 10 5 0 6 21 12 6 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Michigan State...... 230 000 0 - 5 12 2 Penn State.......... 120 111 X - 6 10 2 ----------------------------------------- E - Beech(3); Merren(1); Nuxoll(14); Chavez(9). LOB - MSU 12; Penn State 6. 2B - Lewis(6); Furrow 2(10); Nuxoll(3); Norton(5); Greenberg(4). HR - Peterson(6); Greenberg(1). HBP - Wallace; Humphrey. SH - Green(3); Schick(7); Bianchini(3); Nuxoll(10); Humphrey(1); Chavez(2); Pierce(3). SB - Hauxhurst(4). Michigan State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Beech, Jessica...... 6.0 10 6 5 0 6 24 30 Penn State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Skelly, Tina........ 1.0 3 2 2 0 0 6 7 Riggleman, Shana.... 3.0 6 3 3 1 4 15 16 Hanson, Marisa...... 3.0 3 0 0 2 0 11 15 Win - Hanson (12-7). Loss - Beech (20-5). Save - None. HBP - by Skelly (Wallace); by Beech (Humphrey). Umpires - HP: John Kurnat 1B: Sony Pompilii 3B: Doug Zimmerman Start: 6:00 pm Time: 2:05 Attendance: 110 Riggleman faced 1 batter in the 5th. Game: MSU1
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