Penn State 11, Pittsburgh 7
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Two Big Ten players were named 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists on Wednesday. Michigan's Sierra Romero and Penn State's Cassidy Bell were named finalists for the honor, which is presented annually to the nation's top player. The winner will be announced at the opening of the 2013 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. Romero is one of just two freshman that were named to the 25-player list, while Bell is among the national leaders in numerous statistical categories.
Penn State at Pittsburgh (DH), 4 p.m. ET
Ball State at Purdue (DH), 3 p.m. ET
Ball State at Purdue (DH), 3 p.m. ET
Eastern Illinois 12, Illinois 1
Michigan 8, Western Michigan 0
Northwestern 11, Notre Dame 3
Ohio State 4, Ohio 2
Ohio State 6, Ohio 1
Penn State 4, Saint Francis (Pa.) 1
Purdue 7, Loyola (Chicago) 4
Michigan 8, Western Michigan 0
Northwestern 11, Notre Dame 3
Ohio State 4, Ohio 2
Ohio State 6, Ohio 1
Penn State 4, Saint Francis (Pa.) 1
Purdue 7, Loyola (Chicago) 4
A pair of programs appear among the top 25 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and USA Softball national rankings, while three others are receiving votes in the latest polls released on Tuesday. Michigan appears at No. 12 in both polls, while Nebraska is rated 18th in the USA Softball poll and No. 22 in the NFCA standings. Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin each are among the squads also receiving votes in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls.
Notre Dame at Northwestern, 5 p.m.
Ohio State at Ohio (DH, 5 p.m.
Ohio State at Ohio (DH, 5 p.m.
Indiana 4 Penn State 3
A four-run fourth inning helped the Indiana softball team close out its first home weekend series with a 4-3 win over visiting Penn State this afternoon. With the victory, the Hoosiers secure its first conference series win of the year and improve to 3-6 in Big Ten play and 19-20 overall. Indiana outhit Penn State 8-6 and saw hits from six different batters. Brianna Meyer and Kelsey Brannon both went 2-for-2, while Amanda Wagner and Michelle Huber each drove in a pair of runs. RECAP
A four-run fourth inning helped the Indiana softball team close out its first home weekend series with a 4-3 win over visiting Penn State this afternoon. With the victory, the Hoosiers secure its first conference series win of the year and improve to 3-6 in Big Ten play and 19-20 overall. Indiana outhit Penn State 8-6 and saw hits from six different batters. Brianna Meyer and Kelsey Brannon both went 2-for-2, while Amanda Wagner and Michelle Huber each drove in a pair of runs. RECAP
Nebraska 3, Iowa 2
The 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team won in its final at bat for the seventh time this season, scoring once in the top of the seventh inning of a 3-2 victory over Iowa on Sunday afternoon at Pearl Field. The win clinched a series victory over the Hawkeyes, while also wrapping up a 5-2 road trip for the Huskers. Nebraska has now won 11 road games this season - the third-highest total in school history - while winning its first two Big Ten Conference road series of the year. RECAP
Michigan 17, Ohio State 5
The No. 12 University of Michigan softball team piled on eight runs in the first inning, fueled by eight walks, on its way to a 17-5 run-rule victory over Ohio State on Sunday (April 7) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The win, which saw the Maize and Blue score in every inning, secured the three-game series sweep of the Buckeyes. RECAP
Wisconsin 10, Minnesota 0 (Game 1); Minnesota 8, Wisconsin 0 (Game 2)
Game 1: Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 10-0 on Sunday, paced by a no-hitter by Meghan McIntosh. Stephanie Peace homered to left center field to score two runs and Whitney Massey followed with a home run over the center field fence to put UW up 3-0. Michelle Mueller singled to score two runs, then a double by Mueller cleared the bases and gave the Badgers a 6-0 lead. Wisconsin tacked on a run in the fifth inning on Massey's second home run of the game and posted three more in the sixth to take a 10-0 lead. RECAP
Game 2: Minnesota captured the rubber match in its Big Ten weekend series with No. 23/25 Wisconsin, as it defeated the Badgers by a score of 8-0 in five innings to take two-of-three in its home-opening weekend. The Gophers used a three-run first and a five-run third to bounce back after dropping the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader. RECAP
Northwestern 7, Illinois 1
Northwestern completed a sweep of Illinois Sunday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field with the help of a five-run fifth inning, defeating the Illini, 7-1. Northwestern now is 19-14 overall on the season with its victory, 5-3 in the Big Ten. Illinois falls to 11-21 on the year with its loss, 1-8 in the conference. In the NU sweep, Wildcats pitchers held the Illini to just five hits and one run over the course of the entire three game series. By contrast, NU plated 23 runs and pounded out 13 extra-base hits, including six home runs. RECAP
Michigan State 1, Purdue 0
Michigan State softball took the series against Purdue after edging the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon, 1-0. Junior Kelly Smith pitched for MSU and notched seven strikeouts, while senior Jayme O'Bryant scored the lone Spartan run. RECAP
Michigan 11, Ohio State 0
The No. 12 University of Michigan softball team blasted three home runs, including a grand slam from junior Caitlin Blanchard, and sophomore Sara Driesenga pitched a complete game shutout for an 11-0 run-rule victory in five innings over Ohio State on Saturday at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. It marked the seventh shutout of the season for the Wolverines and the second in Big Ten play. RECAP
The No. 12 University of Michigan softball team blasted three home runs, including a grand slam from junior Caitlin Blanchard, and sophomore Sara Driesenga pitched a complete game shutout for an 11-0 run-rule victory in five innings over Ohio State on Saturday at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. It marked the seventh shutout of the season for the Wolverines and the second in Big Ten play. RECAP
Minnesota 2, Wisconsin 1
Senior catcher Kari Dorle drove a one-out double down the left field line to score sophomore shortstop Tyler Walker from second base, giving Minnesota a 2-1 walk-off victory over No. 23/25 Wisconsin on Saturday in the home opener for the Gophers. The win for Minnesota followed a two-hour, 27-minute rain delay in the opening game of a three-game weekend series. Friday's game was postponed due to poor weather, and the teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. RECAP
Northwestern 8, Illinois 0
One day after Northwestern no-hit Illinois at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, senior Meghan Lamberth nearly repeated the feat with a career-best one-hit shutout in an 8-0 (5) run-rule victory over the Illini. Lamberth (7-4) needed just 68 pitches and allowed only two base runners, one early in the game on an error and another on a one-out fifth-inning hit. She fanned three in the game and notched her fourth shutout of the season. RECAP
Purdue 7, Michigan State 2
The Boilermaker softball team had a base runner in every inning and scored in four stanzas en route to a 7-2 win over Michigan State on Saturday to even the weekend series at a game apiece. Purdue scored its seven runs on 10 hits and two MSU miscues, while holding the Spartans to two runs on five hits and an error. Eight different players posted hits for the Boilermakers, including sophomore Ashley Burkhardt and junior Danielle Fletcher, who each managed two hits. RECAP
Penn State 3, Indiana 0
Freshman Macy Jones held Indiana to just five hits as Penn State used a three-run sixth to earn its first Big Ten victory of the season, 3-0. Jones (7-9) struck out six Hoosiers over 6.2 innings of work after relieving starter Christy Von Pusch in the first as Penn State notched its second shutout of the year. Senior Cassidy Bell finished the day 2-2 at the plate with a single, double and two walks while Jones and senior Alyssa Renwick both produced a pair of hits against the Hoosiers, as well. Renwick and freshmen Lexi Knief and Reina Furuya tallied one RBI apiece. RECAP
Nebraska 11, Iowa 1
Not even a nearly two-hour rain delay could slow the Husker offense on Saturday, as the 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team produced a season-high 17 hits in an 11-1 five-inning victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pearl Field. The Huskers bounced back from a disappointing loss in the series opener on Friday, scoring runs in each of the first four innings on Saturday. Nebraska plated four runs in the first inning, three runs in the second, one run in the third and three runs in the fourth, following the lengthy rain delay. RECAP
Indiana 4, Penn State 3
After trailing Penn State 3-2 into the sixth inning, the Indiana softball team was able to manufacture a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame and hang on to an eventual 4-3 win over the Nittany Lions in the Hoosiers' first Big Ten conference victory at Andy Mohr Field. Indiana improves to within one game under the .500 mark on the year (18-19) and 2-5 in conference games, while Penn State falls to 7-22 (0-6 Big Ten). The Hoosiers have also extended their home win streak to eight games and improve to 34-6 in Bloomington since the beginning of the 2011 campaign. RECAP
After trailing Penn State 3-2 into the sixth inning, the Indiana softball team was able to manufacture a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame and hang on to an eventual 4-3 win over the Nittany Lions in the Hoosiers' first Big Ten conference victory at Andy Mohr Field. Indiana improves to within one game under the .500 mark on the year (18-19) and 2-5 in conference games, while Penn State falls to 7-22 (0-6 Big Ten). The Hoosiers have also extended their home win streak to eight games and improve to 34-6 in Bloomington since the beginning of the 2011 campaign. RECAP
Iowa 6, Nebraska 2
The University of Iowa softball team defeated No. 19 Nebraska, 6-2, in the series opener of a three-game set on Friday night at Pearl Field. The Hawkeyes used another solid outing from junior starter Kayla Massey and a big offensive output from sophomore Megan Blank to earn their sixth victory over a top-25 opponent. Blank got things rolling early, lining a two-run homer over the fence in right in the first inning to give the Hawkeyes a 2-0 lead. Iowa is 16-2 this season when scoring first. RECAP
Michigan 5, Ohio State 1
Freshman Sierra Romero belted a first-inning home run to give the No. 12 University of Michigan softball team an early lead that it never relinquished on the way to a 5-1 win over Ohio State today (Friday, April 5) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. Michigan extended its win streak to 11 games, its longest since 2011 (24 straight wins). The Wolverines pushed their win steak to open Big Ten Conference play to seven games, their best start since 2010 (13 wins). RECAP
Northwestern 8, Illinois 0
Northwestern softball's newest promotion is no-hit Fridays at Sharon J. Drysdale Field! For the second time in as many weeks, sophomore Amy Letourneau (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) allowed no hits and the Wildcats walked off with an 8-0 (5) run-rule victory over Illinois. Letourneau's (11-8) no-hitter is the second of her career and it follows a seven-inning no-no in a 6-2 NU win over Minnesota last Friday, March 29, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The April 5 installment needed just five innings of work and featured eight strikeouts against eight walks. RECAP
Michigan State 3, Purdue 2
Michigan State University softball defeated Purdue to improve its record to 20-13 overall and 6-0 in conference games. Junior Kelly Smith tallied seven strikeouts and sophomore Ellie Stoffer led the offense with two RBIs. It equals MSU's best start in Big Ten play since 2006. RECAP
Michigan State at Purdue
Game 1 - Friday, 4 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Game 1 - Friday, 4 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Illinois at Northwestern
Game 1 - Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 1 - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Penn State at Indiana
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Ohio State at Michigan
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Game 1 - Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 3 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 2 p.m.
Nebraska at Iowa
Game 1 - Friday, 7:30 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Sunday, 2 p.m.
