Seven — that’s the number of wins Penn State had in its 2021 season.
A 7-34 record was not how coach Clarisa Crowell envisioned her inaugural campaign unfolding in Happy Valley.
In addition to the 34 losses, eight came by mercy rule, and for Crowell, losing was not something she was used to.
Coming from Miami, Ohio, she led perennial winners, leading teams to the Mid-American Conference Tournament in all eight campaigns she coached.
Losing aside, there were some bright spots for the 2021 Nittany Lions, including pitcher Bailey Parshall and catcher Ally Kurland.
Parshall led the team in ERA with a 2.82, and Kurland blasted a team-high five home runs and 14 RBIs.
The blue and white was never considered a powerhouse in the conference, with its last Big Ten Tournament game win coming in 2017 and its last winning record coming the season before.
The expectations entering the 2022 season were meager for Penn State, but it proved everyone wrong.
The Nittany Lions completely disregarded their past struggles and rewrote the script, concluding the season with a 32-22 record and going into the Big Ten Tournament as the seventh seed.
Crowell’s squad posted a 13-10 conference record that showed a vast improvement from the season prior.
The blue and white was defeating teams that it hadn't in years, picking up two wins against Illinois and one against Michigan, all on the road.
Its win against Michigan was historic for the program, as it marked the first time since 2005 that Penn State won in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Several factors contributed to the extreme turnaround, but none were bigger than the offensive outburst.
The Nittany Lions' offense received a major boost during the offseason when catcher Cassie Lindmark transferred from Kentucky.
Lindmark recorded a .400 batting average this season, which led Penn State and was a huge improvement from a season ago when infielder Melody Coombs led all qualified hitters with an average of .238.
The junior also posted seven home runs and 34 RBIs, which was good enough to be selected to the All-Big Ten second team.
Another player who enjoyed a breakout year was Kurland, who improved in every major statistic.
For the second straight campaign, she led the team in home runs, blasting 16, collected 44 RBIs and put up a .303 average.
The duo of Lindmark and Kurland, who switched between designated hitter and catcher, started things off for the Nittany Lions, hitting first and second in the batting order.
The standout hitters got help from infielders Lexie Black and Lauren Marcotte on offense. Black smacked nine home runs with 30 RBIs, while Marcotte drove in 17 runs.
Penn State also saw a great improvement in the circle, especially from its ace Parshall.
The senior was dominant all campaign long as she tallied a 22-9 record with a 1.68 ERA, and she was chosen to the All-Big Ten first team.
Parshall also reached new heights on a game-to-game basis, tossing a perfect game against FIU in February — the first by a Penn Stater since 2005.
The blue and white carried its regular-season momentum into the conference tournament while squaring off with 10th-seeded Indiana in the opening round.
The 2022 campaign marked the first time Penn State made the tournament since 2019, when the Hoosiers ended its season.
The Nittany Lions wanted to continue to flip the script. They did just that, taking down Indiana 2-1 in eight innings.
The game was close throughout, but Black’s walk-off RBI single in extras was the deciding factor and extended the blue and white’s season.
However, Penn State’s run at a title was cut short just one day later, losing 3-1 against second-seed Nebraska.
Despite losing in the second round, the Nittany Lions accomplished many great things during the campaign.
Crowell’s squad is extremely young, and many players are returning for another season, including Parshall.
Penn State has found its leader and will look to build on its most recent success for years to come.
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