March 4, 2012
Kissimmee, Fla. - Penn State scored the game-winning run on an error in the top of the ninth to claim a 2-1 victory over No. 19/17 Auburn softball Sunday afternoon in the Tigers' last game of the Citrus Classic.
Auburn falls to 16-3 with the loss, while Penn State improved to 6-7.
"This was a disappointing loss," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "We left 12 runners on base and that will get you beat every time."
Lauren Schmalz took the loss in relief to fall to 5-2. Schmalz allowed one run, unearned, on three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in four innings of work. Jenee Loree started but did not earn a decision. Loree threw five innings, allowing one run, earned, on two hits with three walks, eight strikeouts and two hit batters.
Lisa Akamine earned the win to improve to 4-4. Akamine threw a complete game, allowing one run, earned, on five hits with eight walks and six strikeouts.
Penn State jumped on top in the top of the first inning when Lauren Yao delivered a two-out single through the left side that scored Alyssa Sovereign from second. Sovereign reached on a leadoff single and moved to second on a sac bunt. A one-out walk to Kailyn Johnson put runners at second and first, setting up Yao's RBI single two batters later.
Amber Harrison tied the game with a two-out, RBI single through the right side in the bottom of the third inning. Lauren Guzman led off with a ground-rule double that could have been a triple had a foul ball from another field not fallen in the field of play.
After a one-out walk to Caitlin Jordan, Elizabeth Eisterhold reached on a fielder's choice that moved Guzman to third and forced Jordan out at second. Harrison then delivered the tying single to right, scoring Guzman to make it 1-1.
Auburn got a one-out double from Guzman in the bottom of the fifth, but Akamine was able to work out of the jam forcing Lathan to pop up and Jordan to ground out to second to end the inning.
After hitting the leadoff batter, Yao, to open the top of the sixth, Loree was lifted for Schmalz. A sac bunt from Liz Presto moved Yao to second. Ellen McNair then laced a fly ball to left that a diving Baylee Stephens was unable to glove, giving McNair a double. Yao had to hold on the play and only advanced to third.
Schmalz notched the second out of the inning with a called third strike on Akamine, but a walk to Shannon Hutchinson loaded the bases for Penn State. Schmalz was able to work out of the jam when she got Sovereign on a swinging third strike to end the inning.
The Tigers got a leadoff walk from Eisterhold to start the bottom of the sixth. Kristyn Richards was put in to run for Eisterhold, but was thrown out at second on an attempted sac bunt by Harrison. After pinch-hitter Hilary Mavromat grounded out, moving Harrison to second, the Nittany Lions ended the inning on a called third strike on Caitlin Schultze.
In the bottom of the seventh, Melero drew a one-out walk and was followed by Guzman who laced a single through the right side to put runners at second and first. Brooke Lathan grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Guzman out at second, but moving Melero to third. The Tigers were unable to push Melero across, however, as Jordan ended the inning on a ground ball fielder's choice, forcing Lathan out at second.
In the eighth, Yao was placed at second to open the inning. After a sac bunt moved Yao to third, Ellen McNair reached on an infield single to third putting two on with one out. Schmalz then ended the PSU scoring threat with a pair of strikeouts, both called third strikes.
In the bottom of the eighth, Maris Medina ran for Jordan at second and moved to third on a sac bunt by Eisterhold. Harrison followed with a foul pop out to the shortstop for the second out of the inning. Mavromat, who stayed in at DP, followed with a walk to put runners on the corners. On a 2-2 pitch, Schultze hit a soft liner to second to end the inning and send the game to the ninth.
Hutchinson was put at second to open the ninth for Penn State and moved to third on a ground out to Guzman by Akamine. With pinch-hitter Danee Collett at the plate, Eisterhold threw wild to third on a failed pickoff attempt, allowing Hutchinson to score to give PSU a 2-1 lead.
Schultze was placed at second to open the bottom of the ninth. A pop-up on a bunt from Stephens followed by a foul out to catcher from pinch-hitter McKenzie Kilpatrick kept Schultze at second. A wild pitch to Guzman, however, moved Schultze to third. Guzman was then intentionally walked to bring up Lathan who popped up to first base on the first pitch to end the game.