May 8, 2015
| 5 | 3 |
| McLane Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. | Attn: 480 | |
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| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
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| FINAL STATISTICS |
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.) hit their first career home runs and J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) drove in two, as Penn State defeated Michigan State, 5-3 in Big Ten baseball action Friday afternoon in McLane Baseball Stadium. The Nittany Lions' fifth consecutive win matches their season-high.
Penn State (18-26, 6-12 B1G) received strong pitching from LHP Nick Hedge (3-6) and RHP Jack Anderson (5). Hedge went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just eight hits and three runs (one earned). Anderson pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, striking out four and allowing just three hits.
The save was Anderson's third in four games, fifth of the season and 12th of his career, giving him sole possession of third all-time in program history in the category. He has now pitched 12 1/3 innings after appearing in Penn State's last five games and factoring in four decisions (3 saves, 1 win).
Kendall homered off the top of the left field wall in the second inning for an early Penn State lead, but Michigan State (29-19, 11-8 B1G) answered in the fourth with a solo home run to center from right fielder Brandon Hughes. Hughes was one of four Spartans to go 2-for-4 in the game.
The Lions reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning on a two-RBI single with the bases loaded by White, and Helsel blasted a home run into the trees beyond left field in the sixth for a 4-1 advantage.
Penn State yielded an unearned run in both the sixth and seventh innings though to allow the Spartans to get back in the game, but shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) doubled in the ninth, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by right fielder Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) for the final margin.
Haley led Penn State at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Kendall was the only other Lion with a multi-hit game with two, extending his hitting streak to 10. Left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa,) went 0-for-5 at the plate, ending his 16-game hitting streak.
LHP Cam Vieux (4-5) suffered the loss allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings of work.
Penn State and Michigan State will continue the series Saturday at 12:05 p.m.