Penn State secures fourth Big Ten series behind an offensive rally in rubber match against Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. - The Nittany Lions will return home victorious after a weekend road trip to Big Ten rival Wisconsin Badgers.

Penn State finished a series win over Wisconsin, improving to an 11-6 conference record and a 32-12 overall record. The 32 wins for Penn State this season matches the most season wins under coach Clarisa Crowell.

Game 1 of the series saw freshman Bridget Nemeth in the circle. Nemeth tossed the first of her two complete games for the weekend in a 3-1 victory for Penn State.

Aside from Nemeth’s dominant complete game pitching performance in which she recorded 11 strikeouts on only 96 pitches, Penn State recorded three runs on eight hits.

The top half of the Nittany Lion’s order consisting of Maddie Gordon, Liana Jones, Kaitlyn Morrison and Gaby Garcia tallied six hits combined.

But the majority of the game one offense came from Garcia’s 3-3 day at the plate. Garcia’s three hits included a solo home run and two singles, the first of which was an RBI single. Morrison also contributed with an RBI triple.

A trio of pitchers were used for game two with Mady Volpe starting in the circle. The results from this one were a complete turnaround for Penn State as the bats and pitching went cold as they were mercy-ruled in five innings, losing 17-3.

Across three runs on five hits, Penn State added another two home runs to their season. Jiselle Hernandez hit her first collegiate home run and Garcia hit another home run, her second in as many days.

Even as the blue and white were held to six runs and outscored 18-6 in the first two games, it all came down to Sunday afternoon’s rubber match with Nemeth in the circle to start again.

Nemeth’s dominance continued as she tossed her second complete game of the weekend and her 11th of the season with four hits and eight strikeouts in the 10-2 victory.

As a response to the mercy the previous day, Penn State’s offense got started right off the bat when Morrison lined a single up the middle on the first pitch from Wisconsin’s starter Tessa Magnanimo.

Gordon hit her 10th home run of the season to lead Penn State in home runs and put the Nittany Lions up 2-0 in an early game.

Penn State’s one through nine hitters all recorded a hit this game with the sixth inning proving to be the stamp on the series win.

Haylie Brunson connected to hit the second Penn State home run of the day, her sixth of the season.

An RBI single from Gianna Poletti scored another to make it a 5-1 game, which was followed by a single from Michela Barbanente then a walk by Morrison to load the bases for Liana Jones.

Ultimately, Jones delivered with a grand slam, her sixth home run of the season.

Penn State walked into Game 3 of the series with coach Crowell’s “1-0” mentality that she’s imposed on her team all season long. After being held to six runs through the first three games and a mercy, the Nittany Lions’ offense fired back to leave Madison with the series win.

Caitlyn Brooks is a first-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email crb6283@psu.edu.