No. 6-seeded Northwestern (30-20, 16-8 B1G) started out hot, but its bats seized to deliver as No. 11-seeded Penn State (33-20, 11-13 B1G) took home the upset victory with a late surge.
Back in April, the Wildcats swept the Nittany Lions, outscoring them 38-9 across the three games. In the Big Ten Tournament, it looked like it was headed in the same direction.
Marina Mason started for Northwestern, holding Penn State scoreless through the first two innings. Meanwhile, the ‘Cats got on the board early,
thanks to a Bridget Donahey three-run home run in the bottom of the first.
Just an inning later, Izzy Cunnea launched a solo shot of her own to give NU an early 4-0 lead after two innings. Everything seemed to be clicking for the Wildcats offense, and Mason was holding her own on the mound.
Cunnea’s homer prompted Penn State to take starting pitcher Abigail Britton out of the game, after she had allowed four runs and two hits. They replaced her with Brevyn Kellepouris, who got out of the second cleanly.
As the first batter for Penn State in the top of the third, Gabby Gradishar singled on a full count to get her team’s first hit of the night. Mason fought back, striking out two consecutively after. With two outs and Gradishar on first, Breanna Hanik launched a two-run blast to get the Nittany Lions on the board, cutting the lead down to 4-2.
Kellepouris held Northwestern scoreless in the third, prompting Mason to retake the bump while looking to get back into her groove after allowing two runs and four hits. Jordan George quickly put an end to that with a single to lead off the fourth. Mason went on to pick up her sixth strikeout of the outing, followed by Madison Seidel lining out. Gradishar stepped up to the plate with two outs and one runner on, as she went on to hit the second two-run home run of the day for the Nittany Lions and the fourth home run total. The game was now tied at 4-4.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats broke the tie when Tru Medina touched home. First she doubled, then was advanced to third by a Grace Nieto single. Kaylie Avvisato then stepped up to the plate, where she grounded out, but not before bringing Medina in to give NU a 5-4 lead. Kellepouris remained calm, though, as she stuck out Emma Raye to put and end to the fourth inning. Little did Northwestern know at the time, but that would be the last run it scored all night.
Allison Oneacre grounded out to open the fifth inning, followed by Hanik hitting a single. Mason responded by striking Brooke Klosowicz out, and needed just one more out to hold the Nittany Lions scoreless in the fifth. However, the home run barrage continued, this time with Natalie Lieto hitting a two-run home run to give Penn State a 6-5 lead that they would not relinquish. Mason struck out George to end the top of the fifth inning, but not timely enough.
The Wildcats would go on to have two hits in the bottom of the fifth, followed by one hit in each of the sixth and seven innings as McKenna Young finished the game out for Penn State. However, Northwestern was unable to bring any of its baserunners home, while the Nittany Lions, on the other hand, opened up the floodgates.
In the top of the sixth, Michela Barbanente singled to start off what would become a five-run inning. Despite already hitting three two-run home runs off of Mason, Madison Seidel added one of her own for good measure. Home run No. 4 for the Nittany Lions marked a career-high in home runs allowed for Mason and put Penn State up 8-5, forcing coach Kate Drohan to pull her star pitcher.
Renae Cunningham took Mason’s place on the mound, and immediately allowed three more Penn State runs, including walking a runner home. Now up 11-5, the Nittany Lions went on to hold the Wildcats scoreless in the sixth and seventh to seal the upset victory. Young pitched very well as she earned the save, striking out four batters in 3.0 innings.
The four home runs hit by Penn State were too much for Northwestern to overcome, which almost certainly ends the season for the Wildcats. A devastating loss for the ‘Cats, considering their early lead, how the two teams matched-up earlier in the season and Northwestern’s hot play to end the regular season.
