Penn State softball will conclude its seven-game home stand at Nittany Lion Softball Park & Beard Field by hosting the Bucknell Bison on Tuesday, April 14, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live to authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
The matchup is significant as it marks a renewal of Penn State’s longest-running series against a Division I opponent. Fans attending can participate in the season’s first Dollar Dog Night and enjoy Country Night promotions, including country music walkup songs for each Nittany Lion player. General admission seating remains free, while parking is available for pre-purchase online or through the ParkWhiz app at $5.50 per game or $5 per game with a full season pass. Day-of event parking without prepayment will cost $10.
Penn State enters the contest after a challenging weekend against Northwestern, holding a 26-15 overall record this season. Freshman outfielder Breanna Hanik leads the team offensively at home with a .500 batting average, four home runs, ten RBIs, and ten runs scored in nine appearances. Freshman infielder Allison Oneacre (.455) and junior Brooke Klosowicz (.444) have also posted strong performances at home games this year. Oneacre has already broken Penn State’s single-season freshman home run record with 14 homers and is close to surpassing both the program’s overall single-season records for home runs (currently needing seven more) and RBIs (trailing by two).
Bucknell arrives under head coach Angie Stackhouse with an overall record of 6-28-1 and has struggled particularly on the road (2-15). The Bison have allowed significantly more runs than they have scored this season and are led offensively by Sarah Zimmerman (.342 average), Barbara Jo Coppola (.326), Brooke Popella (.304), Haley Speicher (.297), and Meadow Gambacurta (team-high 19 walks). In pitching, Avery Powers leads with a team-high 81 innings pitched.
The rivalry between Penn State and Bucknell dates back to April 25, 1966; Penn State holds a commanding lead in their all-time meetings at 35-9 over sixty-one years. After resuming play following a two-year break due to COVID-19, Penn State has won each of their last five contests against Bucknell—including several run-rule victories at home.
