UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite taking an early 4-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a grand slam by sophomore second baseman Michela Barbanente, the Penn State softball team dropped a hard-fought, back-and-forth 14-11 battle to the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes in the rubber match of the Big Ten Conference weekend series from Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
Penn State’s offense racked up 13 hits on the day, with all nine Nittany Lion starters booking at least one hit. A trio of Penn Staters managed multiple-hit outings, with junior catcher Madison Seidel impressing at the plate in one of her most productive individual performances of the season. The Hilltown, Pennsylvania, native finished the day with a 3-for-3 final stat line that included two runs scored, a pair of runs batted in, a double and home run. Seidel now boasts four home runs in her penultimate collegiate season, with the Nittany Lion starter behind the dish celebrating an impressive .500 weekend at the plate including a pair of extra-base hits and a series-long OPS of 1.723.
Elsewhere in the Penn State batting order, Barbanente added the second Penn State grand slam of the weekend in the home half of the first, with the second-year rising star finishing the day 2-for-4 with a pair of runs, quartet of RBI as well as her sixth home run of the campaign. Senior third baseman Maddie Gordon was the only other Nittany Lion with multiple hits on the final box score, as the Shenandoah, Virginia, native finished the day 2-for-4 with an RBI and stolen base to her credit. Senior right fielder Haylie Brunson contributed an extra-base hit with a double, and junior center fielder Jenna Nelson booked a two-bagger of her own to round out the five Nittany Lion extra-base knocks in the weekend finale.
After Volpe mowed the Buckeyes down to open the top of the first, Brunson got the Nittany Lions started at the plate with a walk on five pitches. From there, Klosowicz smacked a single through the left side of the infield on the first pitch of her at-bat to place runners on the right side of the infield. A Penn Stater struck out moments later, but Ricks was able to juice the bases with a walk in a competitive seven-pitch AB. After taking a hack at the first pitch of her plate appearance, Barbanente lifted a high arching shot toward right field, with the ball ringing off the fair portion of the foul pole to bring four runs in on the second Nittany Lion grand slam of the weekend. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes were able to tack on six runs over the next three innings to take a 6-4 advantage through three and a half.
After working through six pitches in a quality at-bat, Seidel smacked the seventh offering of her plate appearance opposite-field for a solo shot that brought the Blue & White back within one. Nelson drew a walk to keep the inning going, and a bunt single toward the Buckeye third baseman from Walters put runners on the right side of the infield. Lieto executed a perfect 3-4 sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and a chaotic fielding error by the Ohio State second baseman saw Brunson reach first base while both Nittany Lion runners completed their journeys home. Despite the Nittany Lions taking a 7-6 lead, Ohio State was able to rattle off an 8-4 run with both offenses booking at least one score per frame over the final three innings, culminating in a 14-11 Buckeye win to close out the weekend.
At the conclusion of the highly contested weekend series, the Nittany Lions move back to .500 at 20-20 overall and maintain a 6-7 mark against Big Ten Conference competition in the 2025 campaign. Ohio State improved to 33-10-1 overall and 8-5 in Big Ten action while rising to 66-36 against the Nittany Lions following the 102nd all-time meeting on Sunday afternoon in Happy Valley. The Blue & White will conclude their extensive nine-game homestand and wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule with a midweek against the in-state rival Pittsburgh Panthers this Tuesday night, April 15.
TOP NITTANY LION PERFORMERS
Madison Seidel | 3-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, BB
Michela Barbanente | 2-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR, SB
Maddie Gordon | 2-for-4, RBI, SB
Natalie Lieto | 1-for-4, 2 RBI
KEY INNINGS
B1 | With one out on the scoreboard, Brunson got the Nittany Lions started at the plate with a walk on five pitches. From there, Klosowicz smacked a single through the left side of the infield on the first pitch of her at-bat to place runners on the right side of the infield. A Penn Stater struck out moments later, but Ricks was able to juice the bases with a walk in a competitive seven-pitch AB. After taking a hack at the first pitch of her plate appearance, Barbanente lifted a high arching shot toward right field, with the ball ringing off the fair portion of the foul pole to bring four runs in on the second Nittany Lion grand slam of the weekend. PSU 4, OSU 0
T2 | Jasmyn Burns opened the visitor’s half of the second with a single through the left side of the infield, advancing to second base on a wild pitch. A Buckeye batter flew out to put one away, and a strikeout resulted in the second out of the inning, but Morgan Frye kept the inning alive with a single to left field that saw Burns trot to third. After Volpe battled with Sylar Limon to force a 2-2 count, the Buckeye batter was able to luck into a triple toward the left center gap that warranted a pair of Ohio State tallies. PSU 4, OSU 2
T3 | Following a Penn State pitching change, Buckeye leadoff hitter Hadley Parisien had some assistance from the wind as a solo shot escaped the Beard Field fence in right center. PSU 4, OSU 3
T4 | After working a 3-1 count, Reagan Milliken lifted a home run off the light pole in left center field to deadlock the contest. Kaitlyn Farley kept the inning alive with a first-pitch single to right field, and a bunt single down the third base line from Frye placed runners on the right side of the infield. A walk by Limon loaded the bases, and despite a strikeout and force out on a fielder’s choice putting two away, the Buckeyes were able to tack on two more scores with an RBI fielder’s choice toward the Nittany Lion second baseman that brought Frye and Limon aboard. OSU 6, PSU 4
B4 | After working through six pitches in a quality at-bat, Seidel smacked the seventh offering of her plate appearance opposite-field for a solo shot that brought the Blue & White back within one. Nelson drew a walk to keep the inning going, and a bunt single toward the Buckeye third baseman from Walters put runners on the right side of the infield. Lieto executed a perfect 3-4 sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and a chaotic fielding error by the Ohio State second baseman saw Brunson reach first base while both Nittany Lion runners completed their journeys home. PSU 7, OSU 6
T5 | Burns sent a single down the third base line, and Lottie Landmesser entered to pinch run for her at first. Milliken sent a single to center field on a 2-0 count that placed runners on the right side and a walk loaded the bases. Frye sent a double that bounced off the chalk along the third base line that ultimately cleared the bases and saw Ohio State re-take the lead. Frye trotted to third on a wild pitch, and a single to right by Limon culminated in a three-run Buckeye edge through four and a half. OSU 10, PSU 7
B5 | The Blue & White opened the home half of the fifth with back-to-back bunt singles by Ricks and Barbanente, but a double-steal attempt saw Barbanente reach second while Ricks was thrown out at third, 2-5. From there, Seidel blasted an RBI double to right center that brought Barbanente around to score and get a run back for PSU. OSU 10, PSU 8
T6 | With one out on the scoreboard, Burns sent a single to left center and Milliken made it a four-run lead for Ohio State with a homer over the fence in left field. OSU 12, PSU 8
B6 | After an out popped onto the board, Brunson blasted a double into left field. Klosowicz grounded out moments later, but a hard-hit single toward the Buckeye third baseman brought Brunson around to tally. OSU 12, PSU 9
T7 | Two outs appeared on the scoreboard just before Burns drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. From there, Milliken hit a two-run shot over the fence in left field to give the Buckeyes a cushion. OSU 14, PSU 9
B7 | Seidel looked to spark a late-game rally for the Blue & White with a one-out walk, and Nelson kept the Nittany Lions in it with a double to right center that placed a pair of runners in scoring position. After a bunt-for-hit opportunity failed to load the bases for PSU, Lieto zipped a single into left field to help bring both Penn State baserunners home to score. OSU 14, PSU 11
UP NEXT
Penn State softball prepares for its final non-conference matchup of the 2025 regular season, with the Nittany Lions set to renew one of their fiercest rivalries on Tuesday night, April 15, with a midweek test against the Pittsburgh Panthers. First pitch from Nittany Lion Softball Park & Beard Field is slated for 5:30 p.m. (ET), with streaming available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app on connected devices.
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