Penn State Takes First Game of Doubleheader, 7-2

April 1, 2016

SPARTAN SYNOPSIS

Penn State scored four first-inning runs and got a strong pitching performance from Marlaina Laubach to halt a two-game MSU winning streak with a 7-2 victory in game one of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Laubach limited the Spartans (19-15) to just four hits on the day, but one of those four was the solo home run by Ebonee Echols in the sixth inning.

Dani Goranson got the start, surrendering five runs on seven hits in her two innings of work. A bright spot for MSU was the relief appearance by Bridgette Rainey, who entered with a runner on third and none out and worked four innings, scattering six hits, striking out three, and walking just one.

In addition to Echols' solo home run, Lea Foerster led off the game with a double for MSU's other extra-base hit on the day.

The teams play the second half of the doubleheader at 7:15 pm Friday evening, and the third game of the series on Saturday at 3 pm on Big Ten Network.

TOP PERFORMERS

Ebonee Echols went 1-for-2, smacking her first home run of her career.
McKenzie Long was 1-for-3 with a leadoff single in the second inning.
Lea Foerster led off the game with a double, her 10th of the season
Bridgette Rainey had her second strong outing in a row, throwing four innings of six-hit relief, allowing just two earned runs. . She struck out three and walked one.

STATS AND STORYLINES

Lea Foerster led off the game with her 10th double of the season, best on the team and tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Ebonee Echols sacrificed her to third, and after Celeste Wood popped out, Sarah Gutknecht stepped in. The first baseman fell behind in the count 0-2, but worked herself into a full count and earned a walk. Gutknecht tried to initiate the double steal, but was tagged out before Foerster could cross home plate and the Nittany Lions were out of the inning.

The home team came out swinging in the first inning, looking to set the tone. Macy Jones matched Foerster with a leadoff double in the home half of the first, and two batters later, Shelby Miller homered down the right field line for an early 2-0 lead. An infield single and double off the wall put two in scoring position for Kristina Brackpool, and she delivered a single that scored both runners for a 4-0 lead. Goranson hit Tori Dubois to add a second runner to the basepaths, but got out of the inning with a fielder's choice on a ground ball to third .

MSU got a run back in the top of the second, when McKenzie Long led off the inning with a base hit. Lexi White popped out in foul territory, and a groundout by Shanin Thomas got Long over to second. Lindsey Besson reached on an error, which brought Long around to score.

A leadoff triple for Lexi Knief in the bottom of the third forced a Spartan pitching change, and Bridgette Rainey came in for Goranson. She got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but then walked Erin Pond to put runners at the corners. Rainey snagged a line-drive comebacker by Dubois, but Funuya singled to right to bring home a fifth run.

A two-run, two-out double by Macy Jones in the bottom of the fifth added a pair on to the PSU lead,

Kaitlyn Eveland, who has missed the last 13 games with injury, returned to the lineup as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning and had a single in the seventh inning, one of MSU's four hits.

Echols' home run extended her team-best active hitting streak to eight games, while Foerster's leadoff double in the top of the first was her seventh straight game with a hit and the 22nd consecutive game reaching base safely. McKenzie Long's hitting streak is tied with Foerster's (seven games) to tie for second behind Echols.

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Team Stats

Lea Foerster

Ebonee Echols

McKenzie Long

Kaitlyn Eveland

Players Mentioned

Lindsey Besson

Ebonee Echols

Kaitlyn Eveland

Lea Foerster

Dani Goranson

Sarah Gutknecht

McKenzie Long

Bridgette Rainey

Shanin Thomas

Lexi White

Celeste Wood