UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Mar. 24, 2010) – Strong pitching and clutch hitting helped the Saint Francis softball team defeat Big Ten power Penn State, 5-3, in Game 1 of a twinbill on Wednesday night at Nittany Lion Field.

Sophomore Megan Layne (Vallejo, Calif./Rodriguez) (Vallejo, Calif. / Rodriguez) surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but settled down to pick up the win. Freshman Taylor Darneille (Fircrest, Wash. / Wilson) delivered the game-winning hit with a two-run triple in the top of the second inning.

However, the Nittany Lions bounced back to win Game 2, 8-0 in six innings.

The Red Flash moved their record to 8-15 on the season heading into Saturday's Northeast Conference opener against Monmouth. Saint Francis will play host to the Hawks beginning at 1 p.m. at the Red Flash Softball Field. SFU will also play host to Fairleigh Dickinson at Noon on Sunday. Both days will be seven-inning doubleheaders.

The Red Flash jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the top half of the first inning in Game 1 against Penn State. Senior Stephanie Griffin (Dupont, PA /Pittston Area ) (Dupont, Pa. / Pittston Area) led off with a single, moved to second base on a sacrifice by freshman Carmen Gurrola (Arleta, Calif. / John F. Kennedy), and then stole third base. Sophomore Paige Smith (Saugus, Calif./Valencia) (Saugus, Calif. / Valencia) was hit by a pitch and stole second base to put two runners in scoring position. Junior Raquel Rugani (Montour, PA/Montour) (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) then laced a two-out, two-run single to left field to make it 2-0.

But Penn State came back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead, 3-2. All three runs scored on a home run by Danee Collett.

Saint Francis wouldn't back down though as they bounced right back in the next half inning. Sophomore Katie McMellen (Kingsville, OH /Edgewood) (Kingsville, Ohio / Edgewood), senior Christina Aulbach (York, PA /Dallastown Area) (York, Pa. / Dallastown Area) and Griffin had three straight one-out singles, and Gurrola had a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Darneille then cleared the bases with a two-out, two-run triple to give the Red Flash a 5-3 lead.

Layne kept Penn State's offense in check the rest of the way to pick up her sixth win of the year. She struck out seven, walked five and gave up three runs on three hits. Griffin and Rugani had two hits each in the game.

The teams were locked in a tight 1-0 game entering the fourth inning of Game 2, but the Nittany Lions scored two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to end the game on the eight-run rule.

SFU, which had lost its first 27 games all-time against Penn State, has now won two of its last four against the Nittany Lions.