Feb. 22, 2015
| 23 | |
| 2 | 5 |
| Blue Bell Park | College Station, Texas | Attn: 2,790 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Despite career-best three-hit days for Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) and Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.), No. 23 Texas A&M fended off Penn State in non-conference baseball action Sunday at Blue Bell Park.
Left fielder Logan Taylor hit a two-run home run in the second inning for Texas A&M (7-0), and the Aggies added a run each in the third, sixth and eighth innings for the victory. LHP Matt Kent (2-0) was effective on the mound, allowing two runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Riotto and Novak both went 3-for-4 for Penn State (0-6), while shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) and catcher Nick Graham (Chambersburg, Pa.) had an RBI each.
After Taylor's home run, Penn State halved the lead in the next frame on an RBI-single by Haley that scored Novak from second. However, A&M restored its two-run advantage in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Blake Allemand.
Another sacrifice fly in the sixth inning extended the A&M lead to three, but Penn State answered in the next inning. Back-to-back singles by Riotto and Novak set the table for Graham, who drove in Riotto with a single of his own.
The Aggie bullpen was able to blank Penn State over the final 2 1/3 innings though, with RHP Mark Ecker (1) earning the save.
The Lions received solid efforts from its freshman pitchers. LHP Taylor Lehman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (0-2) allowed three runs on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts, while RHP Sal Biasi (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) threw 3 1/3 innings of relief, yielding just one run on four hits and two walks.
Penn State will next play at NC State Friday at 3 p.m. to start off the USA Baseball/Irish Classic. The Lions will also face Cincinnati Saturday and Notre Dame Sunday.