May 19, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – North Carolina State right-hander Abbie Sims held Penn State hitless through 5 1/3 innings to lift the Wolfpack (42-20) to a 1-0 win over the Nittany Lions (26-25) Saturday at Beckham Field. With the loss, Penn State is eliminated from NCAA Championship play. NC State survives to face South Carolina at 7 p.m. tonight.

Penn State shortstop Jen Acunto broke up Sims’ no-hit bid with a single to right-center in the sixth inning that set up the decisive moments of the game. With Acunto on first and one out, Meghan Wolfer reached first on a fielding error by Sims, advancing Acunto to second. Sims then hit Penn State first baseman Ashley Esparza with a pitch to load the bases with one out. Sims worked out her way out of the jam by getting Danielle Kinley to pop out to shortstop and Kayce Zielinski to pop out to pitcher to end the inning.

The lone run of the game came across when NC State second baseman Kristine Bechtholdt singled in pinch runner Beth Poore in the fourth inning. Poore pinch-ran for Sims, who walked in her at-bat.

Sims improved to 27-7 on the season, while Penn State’s Jenn Reynolds took the loss to fall to 13-11.