April 7, 2015
| 2 | 4 |
| Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 565 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State took advantage of six walks and three hit batsmen with timely hitting to defeat Bucknell, 4-2, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday evening in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The win snapped a four-game losing streak.
Freshman catcher Nick Graham (Chambersburg, Pa.), who was making his 10th career start, factored in on three of the four Penn State (9-18) runs scored, including the go-ahead run. RHP Tom Mullin (Springfield, Pa.) (2-0) earned the win in relief, yielding a run on three hits and two walks in three innings of work, while RHP Jack Anderson (1) worked out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning and retired the side in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
The Nittany Lions took first lead in the game, 3-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runs on RBI hits by designated hitter Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) and Graham, respectively. First baseman J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) was hit by a pitch and sacrificed to second to lead off the inning, and he scored when Riotto doubled down the right line. Riotto advanced to third on groundout and, following a walk, jogged home on a single to center from Graham.
Graham added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a groundout to drive in centerfielder James Coates (Girard, Ohio) from third base. Coates had doubled to lead off the inning for the only Nittany Lion hit not to include an RBI. PSU had just four hits in the game.
Right fielder Anthony Gingerelli had given Bucknell (15-15) a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning with a single to left field to drive in second baseman Joe Ogren, but the lead was shortlived.
The game had been tied at 1-1 since the second inning.
Bucknell got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Danny Rafferty, but the Lions answered in the bottom half when right fielder Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) doubled to right with two outs to score Graham, who had walked, from first base.
LHP Jordan Donmoyer started for Penn State and allowed the one run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in four innings of work.
For Bucknell, RHP Dan Keller also worked four innings, allowing a run on his only hit allowed and walking five, and striking out two. He walked the bases loaded in the first inning, but PSU was unable to drive in any of the runners. RHP Connor Van Hoose (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing the deciding runs on two hits and a walk. He had struck out the side in the fifth before running into trouble in the sixth, and he was relieved after 1 2/3 innings pitched.
Penn State will host another in-state, Patriot League foe Wednesday, as the Nittany Lions will take on Lafayette for the first time since 1990. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.