Feb. 20, 2016

Box Score

CARY, N.C. -- Making their first collegiate starts, underclassman starting pitchers Sal Biasi (Hazleton Township, Pa.) and Justin Hagenman (Voorhees, N.J.) combined to hold Army to eight hits and one run with 14 strikeouts, leading Penn State to a pair of victories, 5-4 and 11-0, respectively, in the Penn State Baseball Tournament Friday at the USA Baseball National Training Center.

Biasi (1-0) was making his first collegiate start after coming out of the bullpen last season. He struck out a career-high eight batters in six innings, yielding just one run on four hits and a walk. Hagenman (1-0), a freshman, was seeing his first collegiate action, and led Penn State (2-1) to its first shutout victory since March 19, 2014. He went seven innings, allowing only four hits without surrendering a walk and striking out six.

The Lion bats came to life as well. Freshman Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) has enjoyed multiple hit games in all three games this season, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs in the first game against Army (0-3) and 2-for-6 with an RBI in the second. Right fielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) reached base seven times on the day, going 2-for-4 with a run, three walks and two hit by pitches. Freshman catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) made his debut in the nightcap and went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and a walk.

The first game of the day was scoreless until the fourth inning when centerfielder Austin Riggins (Greer, S.C.), another freshman making his debut, singled home Riotto. Army tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, but Penn State took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half after area products Alex Malinsky (Apex, N.C.) and Hughes set the table. The Lions went back ahead on an RBI-groundout by left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) and an RBI-single through the left side by shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa).

A sacrifice fly from Haley and an RBI-single by Riotto in the seventh gave Penn State two more insurance runs that proved important. Army rallied for three runs in the eighth to pull within one, but RHP Jack Anderson (Evanston, Ill.) (1) entered with runners on the corners and no outs and kept the Black Knights scoreless over the final two innings.

In the second game, Penn State struck first in the second inning tallying to runs with just one hit after drawing four walks in the inning. James Coates (Girard, Ohio) added another on a sacrifice fly in the third, and then Hughes, Guers and Haley drove in a run each in the sixth inning for a 6-0 lead.

Penn State added five runs in the ninth, highlighted by a bases clearing double by Sloniger.

After Hagenman was lifted after the seventh inning, Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.) made his first collegiate pitching appearance in the eight, allowing just one hit, and RHP Jake Pilewicz (Sewickley, Pa.) retired the side in the ninth to secure the combined shutout.

The Nittany Lions will conclude the tournament Sunday against Bryant with first pitch at 10 a.m.

Sunday, February 21
10 a.m. - Game 7 - Field 3
Bryant vs. Penn State
RHP Brandon Bingel vs. LHP Nick Hedge

11 a.m. - Game 8 - Field 2
Monmouth vs. Army West Point
LHP Mike Brambilla vs. RHP Garrison Franklin