COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Penn State baseball team's bats were on fire from the jump on Friday night in a 13-7 win over Ohio State at Bill Davis Stadium. The Nittany Lions blasted six home runs, including three in the first inning.
The Nittany Lions improved to 24-22 overall and 11-8 in Big Ten play. Ohio State fell to 17-29 overall and 6-14 in conference action.
Penn State has scored 10 or more runs in four straight Big Ten games (15, 10, 10 vs. Michigan State, 13 vs. Ohio State) for the first time since 2010. The Nittany Lions won 18-10 (4/24/10) and 14-6 (4/25/10) vs Ohio State and 18-7 (4/30/10) and 22-5 (5/1/10) vs. Michigan State.
In the first inning, Penn State hit three home runs including a two-run shot by Matt Wood and back-to-back blasts by Billy Gerlott and Kyle Hannon. The Nittany Lions had back-to-back homers for the second series in a row. Jay Harry and Matt Wood went back-to-back in game one against Michigan State on May 8.
Penn State hit six homers in the game. It marked the first time Penn State hit six homers in a game since April 26, 2008 against Illinois in a 16-5 win.
Gerlott, Hannon and Wood each hit two homers. Penn State had multiple teammates hit two homers in a game since Cory Wine and Scott Kelley in that same game against Illinois.
Gerlott and Hannon are the third and fourth Nittany Lions to hit multiple homers in a game this season. Wood also had two homers vs. LIU on February 19 and Harry had two homers vs. Rutgers on March 25.
Jaden Henline made his sixth start of the year for the Nittany Lions, going 4.2 innings. Henline allowed three runs on seven hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
Dating back to his outing against Omaha on April 29, Henline has not allowed a walk in 15 innings.
Tyler Shingledecker finished the fifth inning and pitched a total of 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk. Mason Mellott threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on a hit. Jordan Morales pitched the final 1.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out one.
Nate Haberthier got the start for Ohio State, throwing seven innings. He gave up nine runs on 10 hits. He struck out five and walked one. Will Pfennig began the eighth, going 1.1 frames. He allowed four runs on two hits before being replaced by Nate Karaffa, who went two-thirds of an inning and gave up one hit.
Penn State tallied 13 runs on 13 hits. The Nittany Lions had 11 extra-base hits, including five doubles and six homers. Gerlott collected four hits, two doubles and two homers, three runs and five RBI. Wood launched a pair of two-run homers, for four RBI, and scored three runs. Kyle Hannon had two homers, totaling three RBI, and two runs. Josh Spiegel had three hits, including two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Jay Harry recorded two hits, including a double, and three runs.
Ohio State had seven runs on 14 hits. Trey Lipsey went three-for-three with a double, a solo homer and two runs. Colton Bauer collected a double, a homer, two runs and an RBI, while Mitchell Okuley had two hits, including a solo homer.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early lead with five runs in the first inning, all coming on three homers. After a one-out single by Harry, Wood lifted an 0-1 pitch to left, which hit off the foul pole, for his ninth homer of the year. Spiegel followed with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Gerlott launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center, his fifth dinger of the year. Hannon made it back-to-back blasts, crushing an 0-2 pitch over the fence in right for his second homer of the season.
Ohio State answered with two runs in the bottom half. With one out, Zach Dezenzo hit a solo homer to left. Lipsey followed with a single to right and stole second. Brent Todys hit a line drive to right-center for a double to plate Lipsey. Penn State led 5-2 after one.
The Buckeyes added a run in the second on a solo homer to right by Okuley. That homer cut Penn State's advantage to 5-3.
Penn State scored two runs in the top of the third on another homer by Hannon. With two outs, Gerlott lined a ball into the corner in right for a double. Hannon followed by launching a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right-center, just to the left of the scoreboard. Penn State led 7-3 through three innings.
The Nittany Lions added two more runs in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Harry hit a ground ball off the first base bag and into right field for a double. Wood then launched a 1-0 pitch off the batter's eye in center for his second homer of the day. Penn State held a 9-3 lead.
Ohio State got a run in the sixth on a solo homer to center by Bauer. The Nittany Lions led 9-4 through six innings.
Penn State extended its lead in the eighth. Leading off the inning, Gerlott launched a 1-0 pitch over the wall in straight-away center. The Nittany Lions led 10-4.
Ohio State answered with two runs in the bottom half. A double by Bauer and a hit-by-pitch by Archer Brookman setup runners on first and second for Marcus Ernst. The OSU senior singled to center, driving home Bauer. A wild pitch allowed Brookman to cross the plate and cut OSU's deficit to 10-6.
The Nittany Lions added three runs in the ninth. Harry worked a one-out walk before Wood was hit by a pitch. Spiegel followed with a single through the left side to plate Harry. Two batters later, Gerlott roped a double down the line in left to bring home Wood and Spiegel. Penn State extended its lead to 13-6.
Ohio State got a run in the bottom of the ninth on a solo homer to right-center by Lipsey.
The Nittany Lions continue the series against the Buckeyes on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. on B1G+. Sunday's game will begin at 1 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Billy Gerlott