April 1, 2015
| 7 | 9 |
| Medlar Field | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 565 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Game 1: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) drove in five runs on two home runs into the right field bleachers, but Kent State prevailed, 9-7, in non-conference baseball action Wednesday in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Guers tied the game for Penn State (8-15) at 4-4 with a three-run blast into the right field bleachers in the fifth, but Kent State (14-11) regained the lead the very next inning, as left fielder Connor Simonetti drove in two with a double to right center. The Lions made it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth after left fielder James Coates (Girard, Ohio) walked, stole second and scored on a two-out, RBI-single by third baseman Ryky Smith (York, Pa.). However, the Golden Flashes were able to add two more runs in the eighth and another in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Guers hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth for the final margin. It was the first multi-home run game of his career.
Guers, Smith and Coates were the offensive leaders for the Lions, as Smith went 2-for-4 and Coates scored twice on three walks. Additionally, Penn State first got on the board in the third on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.).
Kent State built a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, scoring three in the first after centerfielder Luke Burch led the game off with a triple, and another in the second on an RBI-single by Burch. Joining Burch and Simonetti with two-hit games for the Golden Flashes was first baseman Zarley Zalewski, who reached base five times going 2-for-2 with an RBI, three walks and two runs scored.
The Lions struggled defensively, as the nine runs came off just five RBIs.
LHP Jared Skolnicki (3-2) earned the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits and three strikeouts. Penn State used seven different pitchers, with RHP Jared Fagnano (0-1) suffering the loss after failing to record an out in the sixth innng.
Penn State will return to Big Ten action this weekend, playing at Ohio State in a three-game series set to start Friday at 6:35 p.m.