April 15, 2015
| 11 | 2 |
| Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 820 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State scored eight runs in the first two innings in an 11-2 victory over Bucknell Wednesday night in non-conference baseball action.
Penn State (12-20) scored five runs in the first, sending 10 batters to the plate, and three unearned in the second for an early 8-0 lead. RHP Tom Mullin (Springfield, Pa.) (3-0) was solid in his first career start, allowing just an unearned run on four hits in a career-high five innings pitched.
RBI-singles by shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) and centerfielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) drove in right fielder Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) and designated hitter Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.), respectively, for the first two runs of the contest. Riotto's single allowed Haley to reach third, and the pair pulled off a double steal to score Haley. Second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.) then drew a walk, and first baseman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) drove in both Riotto and Skerpon with a double to the left field wall for a 5-0 advantage.
Kendall's double chased Bucknell (18-17) RHP Austin Zimmerman (0-1) from the game. RHP Max Kra came on and got the final out of the first, but yielded three unearned runs in the second inning. Novak led the frame off with a single, and with one out, Kra hit consecutive batters to load the bases. The third baseman had a ball hit by third baseman Christian Helsel bounce off his glove, allowing two runs to score, and another error brought home another run for an 8-0 Lion lead.
Haley, Novak and Ryan Richter (Wayne, Pa,) led the Nittany Lions with two-hit games. Riotto scored a game-high three runs reaching base four times on a single and three hit-by-pitches. In addition to their 12 hits, the Lions drew five bases on balls and were plunked five times.
An error in the top of the fourth inning allowed first baseman Rob Krentzman to hit a sacrifice fly for Bucknell's first run of the game. An RBI-double by third baseman Mark Powell in the sixth pulled the Bison within six, but the Lions added two more runs in the sixth on a wild pitch and passed ball, and first baseman J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) added an RBI-single in the seventh for the final margin.
Powell led Bucknell offensively, going 3-for-4. The Bison used seven pitchers in the game.
Penn State will play its next four on the road, opening a three-game series at Big Ten foe Minnesota Friday.