Homers Power Penn State Softball Past Nebraska

Penn State used a pair of two-run home runs to rally for a 6-4 victory over the Nebraska softball team in 10 innings Sunday at Bowlin Stadium.

Nebraska took a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning before Penn State tied the game on a two-run homer. The Nittany Lions then took the lead with a two-run homer in the 10th inning.

With the win, Penn State won the series and improved to 28-8 on the year and 7-2 in Big Ten play. Nebraska fell to 23-15 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Bridget Nemeth (17-1) tossed a complete game for Penn State, allowing five runs on 10 hits in 10.0 innings. Kaylin Kinney (14-10) took the loss for Nebraska, allowing six runs (five earned) in a career-high 9.1 innings.

Nebraska lost despite hitting two home runs off Nemeth, who entered the game having allowed only one home run in 22 appearances and 103.2 innings. The Huskers out-hit the Nittany Lions 10-8 but Nebraska left eight runners on base compared to four runners stranded for Penn State.

Caitlynn Neal led the Husker offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. Bella Bacon was 2-for-5 and scored twice while Brooke Andrews went 2-for-4 and Peyton Cody hit her third home run of the season.

Penn State took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. A leadoff walk was followed by back-to-back doubles to give the Nittany Lions the lead. 

Nebraska answered right back by scoring a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the game. Bacon got the rally started with a two-out double. Neal followed with an RBI single before Katelyn Caneda came through with an RBI double.

The Huskers mounted another two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. It was Bacon who started the rally again with a two-out single. Neal then launched a two-run homer to right center to give Nebraska a 4-2 lead.

Trailing by two, Penn State got a leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning before Nemeth hit a game-tying two-run homer.

In the bottom of the seventh, Billie Andrews reached on a leadoff error. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from her older sister Brooke. Following a strikeout, Samantha Bland was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs but Nemeth escaped the jam with another strikeout.

Neither team got a runner past first base in the eighth or the ninth innings. Then in the top of the 10th, Penn State grabbed its first lead of the game with a two-run homer.

Cody hit a two-out home run in the bottom of the 10th to pull the Huskers within one, but that was as close as Nebraska would get.

Nebraska is back in action next weekend, when the Huskers travel to Rutgers for a three-game series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.