UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team swept its doubleheader against Michigan State on Sunday. The Nittany Lions' offense exploded for a 15-3 win in game one and broke the game open with three runs in the seventh and eighth for a 10-4 victory in game two.
Penn State improved to 22-21 overall and 9-8 in Big Ten play this season, while Michigan State dropped to 21-23 overall and 7-11 in league action. Penn State has won five-straight games.
The Nittany Lions clinched their third straight Big Ten series win, joining their series wins against Purdue and at Minnesota.
Penn State's game one win featured a complete-game by Jaden Henline, the Nittany Lions' first nine-inning complete game since 2013. The Nittany Lions tallied 15 runs on 14 hits, including three hits and four RBI by Johnny Piacentino. Jay Harry (three-run), Kyle Hannon (solo) and Matt Wood (solo) all hit home runs.
Wood followed with a three-run homer and a career-high five RBI in game two. Josh Spiegel also homered and Jay Harry had three hits.
On the day, Wood extended his hit streak to 25 games. He now owns sole possession of the second-longest streak in Penn State program history, breaking a tie with Mike DeRenzo (23, 2002). Among his 25-game streak, Wood has 15 multi-hit performances.
The Nittany Lions conclude the series at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Game 1
Jaden Henline started on the mound for the Nittany Lions, throwing a complete game. The sophomore allowed three runs (two earned) on 11 hits, riding out the game after Penn State gained a strong lead. Henline struck out six, tying a career high, and walked none.
Henline earned Penn State's first nine-inning complete game since Greg Welsh against Michigan State on May 17, 2013.
Conner Tomasic got the start for Michigan State, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked one. Andrew Carson gave up three runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Kyle Dunning allowed six runs on four hits in an inning of work. Jack Brockhaus gave up three runs in two innings.
The Nittany Lions tallied 15 runs on 14 hits. Johnny Piacentino had three hits, including two doubles, and four RBI. Tayven Kelley collected three hits, including a triple, and three runs. Matt Wood had two hits, including a solo homer, and three runs, while Josh Spiegel had two hits, including a double, two runs and three RBI. Kyle Hannon hit a solo homer, while Jay Harry hit a three-run shot. Cole Bartels drove in two runs and scored three.
Harry and Wood's back-to-back homers in the fifth inning marked the first time Penn State did that since Gavin Homer and Jordan Bowersox in the seventh inning against UCF on March 10, 2019.
Michigan State had three runs on 11 hits. Mitch Jebb and Brock Vradenburg each had two hits and an RBI. Casey Mayes tripled and scored a run.
The Spartans got on the board in the second. Vradenburg led off the inning with a double to the wall in right-center. A sacrifice bunt by Dillon Kark moved Vradenburg to third. Bryan Broecker sent a single to center to drive in Vradenburg and give Michigan State a 1-0 lead.
Penn State answered with a run in the third. With one out, Kelley hit a line drive that carried to the nook in left-center as Kelley raced into third with a triple. Derek Cease followed with a groundball to the left side of the infield for a single, which allowed Kelley to score. Penn State tied the game at 1-1.
Michigan State responded with a run in the fourth. Mayes started the inning with a triple off the wall in right. Vradenburg followed with a groundout as Mayes scored. Michigan State took a 2-1 lead.
Penn State took the lead in the fifth with five runs coming on three homers. Hannon began the inning by launching a fly ball into the bleachers in right. Kelley followed with a single to right-center. Kelley moved up to third after an error on a pickoff attempt and a groundout. After Bartels was hit by a pitch, Harry blasted an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right for a three-run shot. Wood made it back-to-back homers, also hitting a fly ball into the bleachers in right. Penn State led 6-2 through five.
The Nittany Lions blew the game open with six runs in the sixth. Billy Gerlott began the inning with a walk. A single by Kelley and a walk by Cease loaded the bases for Bartels, who sent a single to center to drive home Gerlott and Kelley. After Wood was intentionally walked, to re-load the bases, Spiegel hit a line-drive single to center to drive in two more runs as Cease and Bartels scored. A wild pitch allowed Spiegel to move up to second before Piacentino sent a line-drive to left-center to plate Wood and Spiegel. Penn State held a 12-2 advantage.
Michigan State scored a run in the top of the seventh. A single by Kark began the inning with a single. He moved up to second on an error. Jebb followed with a single to center to plate Kark and cut the Spartans' deficit to 12-3.
Penn State plated three more runs in the eighth. After a leadoff walk by Bartels and a single by Wood, Spiegel dropped a line drive into left to score Bartels. Piacentino followed with a double down the line in left to bring home Wood and Spiegel. Penn State led 15-3 through eight.
Game 2
Tyler Shingledecker made his third start of the season for the Nittany Lions, going five innings. Shingledecker allowed three runs on three hits. He struck out four batters and walked two. He retired the last six batters he faced.
Steven Miller entered the game in the sixth, throwing two scoreless innings. He struck out one and walked two batters. Jordan Morales finished the game, going two innings. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out two.
Wyatt Rush started on the mound for the Spartans, throwing 2.1 frames. He allowed three runs on four hits. Rush struck out one and walked one. Nick Powers took over to finish the third and went 2.2 innings. He gave up one run on four hits. Brian Martin gave up three runs (all unearned) in two innings, while Dominic Pianto threw one inning, giving up three runs (one earned).
Penn State recorded 10 runs on 14 hits. Matt Wood collected three hits and a career-high five RBI, including a three-run homer. Jay Harry had three hits, including a double, and a run. Josh Spiegel registered two hits, including a homer, and two RBI. Derek Cease had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Cole Bartels reached base four times with two walks and two hit-by-pitches.
Michigan State had four runs on six hits. Casey Mayes had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Christian Williams added an RBI single.
Penn State picked up where it left off at the plate from game one. The Nittany Lions plated three runs in the first on a homer by Wood. Bartels led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch before a single up the middle by Harry. On a 2-2 pitch, Wood crushed a fly ball over the wall in right to give Penn State a 3-0 advantage.
Michigan State responded with two runs in the top of the second. Mayes tripled on a line drive to the corner in right, scoring Bryan Broecker, who reached on a leadoff single. A groundout to short by Zaid Walker allowed Mayes to score. The Spartans cut their deficit to 3-2.
The Spartans tied the game in the top of the third. Mitch Jebb started the inning with a single to right. He moved up to second on a groundout and third on wild pitch. Brock Vradenburg drew a walk with the last pitch resulting in a wild pitch and Jebb crossing the plate.
Penn State took the lead in the fifth. Wood began the inning by dropping a fly ball into left for a double and he moved up to third on a wild throw back to the infield. Spiegel followed with a single to left to drive in Wood. The Nittany Lions led 4-3 through five.
The Nittany Lions extended their lead with three runs in the seventh. With two outs, Tayven Kelley drew a walk. Cease doubled down the line in left before Bartels was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A grounder by Harry was misplayed, allowing him to reach and Kelley to score. Wood then dropped a single into right-center to plate Cease and Bartels. Penn State held a 7-3 lead through seven innings.
Michigan State scored a run in the eighth. Consecutive singles by Jack Frank and Mayes setup runners on first and second. A pinch-hitter, Williams, sent a line-drive single to left to drive homer Frank and cut MSU's deficit to 7-4.
Penn State answered with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Spiegel led off the inning with a homer to left, his seventh of the year. After Kyle Hannon reached on an error, Kelley landed a double in the corner in right as Hannon scored from first. A single through the left side by Cease drove in Kelley to put Penn State ahead, 10-4.
Josh Spiegel and Matt Wood both homered in the doubleheader