Penn State softball battles for Big Ten standing with latest come-from-behind win against Rutgers

Brooke Klosowicz, Gabby Gradishar, and Baileigh Burtis recently had standout performances.

Penn State softball completed a comeback victory on Sunday against Rutgers en route to a three-game weekend sweep.

The sweep gives Penn State a 23-11 overall record and a 4-5 conference record. Rutgers falls to 17-18 overall, with a 3-9 conference record. 

A road sweep against a conference rival is a good sign for the Nittany Lions after dropping some winnable games against Wisconsin the past weekend. The Big Ten Softball Tournament is just over a month away as both teams look to establish themselves in the standings. 

Penn State’s offense showed up when it needed them to most, leading Penn State to seven-plus runs in each game. The Nittany Lions had a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Saturday.

Rutgers jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third after plating four runs. Riley Hwang started the scoring with an RBI double before scoring on a fielder’s choice. 

Brooke Klosowicz and Gabby Gradishar were Saturday’s heroes, driving in Penn State’s final five runs. Down 5-2, Klosowicz hit a game-tying three-run homer in the top of the fourth. Gradishar would then give her team the lead on an RBI single in the fifth.

Rutgers’ Baileigh Burtis responded with a game-tying homer of her own in the bottom of the fifth. 

Gradishar would come to the plate with two outs in the top of the seventh, and hit a ball over the wall in center field, giving Penn State a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. 

While Sunday’s contest featured another comeback win, Penn State only trailed for half an inning. Allison Oneacre gave her team a 3-2 lead on a two RBI single in the top of the second, and the offense wouldn’t look back. 

Gradishar would plate two more in the next inning, before a fielding error in the fourth gave Penn State a 6-3 lead. Breanna Hanik would give her squad some insurance with a solo homerun in the top of the seventh, before Penn State held on for a 7-5 win. 

Friday’s victory saw a combined shutout thrown by Bridget Nemeth and McKenna Young. The duo gave up just a walk and a hit each, while combining for eight strikeouts in the shutout victory.

Oneacre’s two home runs in Friday’s 8-0 blowout win increased her team-leading total to 13. Her six RBIs pushed her total to 46, which also leads the Nittany Lions.

Burtis was Rutger’s star hitter of the weekend, hitting her fifth home run of the year, while leading her team with a .370 batting average. 

Kelsey Hoekstra is the Scarlet Knights' ace so far this season, boasting a staff-leading 3.63 ERA.

Penn State will play at home the next two weekends, taking on Maryland and Northwestern at Beard Field. After a huge series against Rutgers, Penn State will get the chance to establish itself as a contender in the Big Ten.

Rutgers will face an even tougher challenge than Penn State this weekend as they take on a top-10-ranked Nebraska team.

Pitching has been Penn State’s issue as of late, but if the staff can find the groove they were in before the Oregon series, the Nittany Lions should be able to take care of business over the next few weeks.

Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Carter Joseph Brooks is a student-intern at Penn State University.