Feb. 21, 2015
| 23 | |
| 2 | 15 |
| Blue Bell Park | College Station, Texas | Attn: 4,291 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.) had three hits for Penn State, but early miscues and a late surge by No. 23 Texas A&M resulted in a 15-2 defeat of the Nittany Lions in non-conference baseball action Saturday afternoon in Blue Bell Park.
Helsel went 3-for-4 and doubled to lead Penn State (0-5), while centerfielder Ryan Richter (Wayne, Pa.) and catcher Alex Malinsky (Apex, N.C.) had an RBI-each.
However, nine different Texas A&M (6-0) batters tallied an RBI, led by shortstop Blake Allemand (1-for-3) with three. Second baseman Ryne Birk had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while first baseman G.R. Hinsley drove in two with a seventh-inning home run.
RHP Grayson Long (1-0) was strong on the mound, holding Penn State to an unearned run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in six innings of work.
Freshman RHP Nick Distasio (Oley, Pa.) (0-2) yielded six runs, but just one earned, on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings of work. Of the four pitchers to throw for the Lions, all were newcomers and three were true freshmen.
Three errors and a passed ball in the first three innings led to five unearned runs for A&M. Following an RBI-double by Ryne Birk in the first, a throwing error ultimately led to two more runs coming across in the frame. A fielding error led to two unearned runs in the second inning, and another throwing error in the third resulted in another run and a 6-0 Aggie lead.
A bases-loaded walk in the fifth gave Texas A&M a 7-0 lead before the Nittany Lions were able to get on the scoreboard in the sixth with an RBI-single by Richter. Malinsky then cut the deficit to five in the seventh with an RBI-double.
However, the Aggies were able to restore their seven-run advantage with Hinsley's homer, and then ice the victory with six runs in the eighth.
Sunday's game has been moved one hour earlier to 1:05 p.m. ET/12:05 p.m. CT from its originally scheduled time due to the threat of inclement weather. The game can be watched on SEC Network Plus, available through WatchESPN.