Box Score RALEIGH, N.C. – The University of Pennsylvania softball team dropped its third straight game to open the 2023 season on day two of the Wolfpack Classic hosted by North Carolina State University on Saturday morning. The Quakers were shut out in five innings by the James Madison Dukes, 8-0. Penn and East Tennessee State were suspended following the completion of the fourth inning on Saturday afternoon. The two teams will resume the suspended game at the top of the fifth inning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Quakers and the Bucs will then play their regularly scheduled game following the completion of the suspended game.

FINAL/5: JMU 8, Penn 0
The Dukes sent their ace to the circle to face the Quakers on Saturday and she stifled the Penn bats. Alissa Humphry pitched a two-hit shutout as she struck out 10 Quakers. She gave up two walks, both in the first inning.

Rachel Riley made the start for the Quakers. JMU opened the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back doubles. The Dukes took a lead on the second double but the Quakers got a break as the JMU batter rounded second too far and Bella Fiorentino's heads up thinking began the run down and tagged the runner out trying for third. Dukes took a 1-0 lead after the first inning.

JMU threated again in the second inning putting runners on the corners with one out. Heads up defense by the Quakers kept the Dukes off the board as they tagged the lead runner out and then got the final out on a fly ball to center.

The Dukes put up a five spot on the board in the third inning on a three-run shot and back-to-back plays, a fielder's choice and a bases loaded walk.

Fiorentino ended the Dukes bid for a no-hitter as she led off the top of the fourth with a base hit down the left field line and advanced to second on an error by the leftfielder. Danica Larwill entered as pinch hitter and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She would be stranded on third as the next three batter all struck out.

JMU added its final two runs on a two-RBI double down the left field line.

Jade Montgomery made her first career plate appearance and struck out swinging but the ball went past the catcher and she hustled her way down to first base. Montgomery was erased as Madi Bauerle grounded into a fielder's choice. Brianna Brown hit an infield single to third and due to a throwing error she advanced to second and Bauerle made it third. The two runners were stranded as the next batter popped up to center to end the game.   

END 4: ETSU 4, Penn 1
Brown singled with one out in the top of the first and stole second on the next pitch. After a walk to Fiorentino, Brown tagged up and made it safely to third on a foul out to first base. The runners were stranded as the next batter hit a hard shot at the pitcher who fielded it to first for the final out.

ETSU took a 2-0 lead after two innings on a first-inning two-out bases loaded walk and an RBI base hit in the second. The damage was limited to two runs as the final outs of the first two innings were ground outs to the short and second.

Sammy Fenton put the Quakers on the board in the top of the third inning as she laced a two-out RBI double down the left field line to score Bauerle and cut the lead ETSU lead to one.

The Bucs added a pair of runs on a sac fly and a ground out in the bottom of the fourth inning. After the third out was made the game was suspended due to weather in the area. The game will resume in the top of the fifth inning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
 
QUAKER NOTEMEAL

• The Quakers broke up a no-hitter against JMU for the second straight day to lead off the top of the fourth on nearly identical plays. Fiorentino ended up on second after her base hit down the left field line was thrown past the first baseman. Sammy Fenton's hit to lead off the fourth inning of game one on day one also saw her end up on second due to a misplay at first base.
• Rachel Riley started game one against the Dukes and pitched out one out into the third inning before Kelly Zybura came on in relief and got the final two outs and also pitched the bottom of the fourth.

UP NEXT
The Quakers will complete their game with ETSU in the top of the fifth inning at 9:30 a.m. and then play their regularly scheduled game following the completion of the suspended game. Next weekend, the Red and Blue are back on the road as they head to the Sunshine State for a three-city 11-game road trip with stops in Boca Raton, Tampa Bay, and Orlando (March 3-10).
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