UAlbany softball falls to Nittany Lions in elimination game

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS -- The University at Albany softball team hung tough in Saturday's elimination game of the Bryan-College Station Regional thanks to a three-run triple from Morgan Petty. But Penn State pulled away over the final three innings, winning 9-3 to bounce the Great Danes from the NCAA Tournament.

RECORDS: UAlbany 33-14 | Penn State 35-19

SCORE: Penn State 9, UAlbany 3

KEY STATS

• Graduate student Morgan Petty led with two hits, including a double and a triple, and three RBI.
• Senior Jordan Nastos and junior Caitlyn Frederick hit bunted singles while sophomore Sara Anderson added a single.
• Graduate student Wendi Hammond started in the circle and pitched 4.2 innings. Redshirt junior Kate Powers closed out the contest. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams opened with strong defenses for three scoreless innings.
• Morgan Petty earned the first hit of the contest with a double to left field in the top of the first.
• Seeing six Nittany Lions batters through the first two innings, the Great Dane defense put a double play on the board in the bottom of the second. Graduate student Maddi Petrella caught a popped foul and threw to Jordan Nastos at first for the second out.
• After a scoreless third inning, PSU started the scoring with two home runs for three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
• UAlbany answered with three runs in the top of the fifth - all RBI from Petty.
• Nastos, sophomore Deanna Grahek, and Caitlyn Frederick all got on base - Nastos and Frederick from bunted singles - to load the bases.
• Petty stepped up to bat and sent the ball deep into right-center for a triple and three RBI.
• The Nittany Lions followed with a grand slam to earn an advantage the Great Danes were unable to come back from.
• PSU added two runs to end the game with the win, 9-3.

NEXT: After a historic season, the Great Danes will return to action in February 2025 for their next competition season.