April 30, 2016
The @PennStateBASE team gets a shut out victory over Maryland on Saturday, 2-0. https://t.co/usivMS6fgL
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) April 30, 2016
| 2 | 0 |
| 3 | 8 |
| Medlar Field | University Park, Pa. | 1949 | |
| Game 1: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
Game 2: Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) VIDEO: Postgame Comments
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Senior RHP Jack Anderson (Evanston, Ill.) broke Penn State's career saves record with his 23rd and matched the single season record with his 11th this year, as Penn State opened a doubleheader against Maryland with a 2-0 victory in Big Ten baseball action Saturday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Maryland clinched the series though with an 8-3 win in the nightcap.
A season-high 1,949 were in attedance.
In the first game, the efforts of RHP Sal Biasi (Hazleton Township, Pa.) (5-4), RHP Dakota Forsyth (Bethel Park, Pa.) and Anderson allowed right fielder Nick Riotto's (Washington, Pa.) leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning to stand as the difference for Penn State (25-20, 10-8 Big Ten). It was Penn State's first shutout in a Big Ten game since May 17, 2013 against Michigan State (9-0) and its third combined shutout of the season.
Maryland (24-19, 9-6 Big Ten) ultimately stranded 12 base runners. Biasi went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Forsyth helped Biasi get out of the sixth inning and worked until two outs in the eighth after surrendering a hit and walk. Anderson took over from there, surrendering just a single in the ninth and striking out two.
Anderson passed Drew O'Neill for the career record. O'Neill posted back-to-back single-season record 11-save seasons in 2007 and 2008 to total a then-record 22. Anderson's 11th save of the year equals the single-season mark.
The top of Penn State's lineup accounted for both runs. In Penn State's first at-bat, Riotto lifted a home run into the right field bleachers for his second of the season and first in Medlar. It would be the game's only run until the eighth inning, when first baseman Willie Burger (Lancaster, Pa.) drove in third baseman Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) from second with a two-out single. Riotto and Haley led Penn State with two-hit games, accounting for four of the Lions' nine hits.
Despite suffering the loss, RHP Taylor Bloom (5-3) went the distance for the Terrapins, striking out three and walking none in eight innings.
Game 2
Maryland cruised to an 8-3 victory in the second game, taking advantage of four miscues for four unearned runs.
Third baseman Andrew Bechtold and left fielder Marty Costes drove in two runs each, with Costes going a game-high 3-for-5. Second baseman Nick Dunn went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Maryland wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, taking advantage of sloppy defense for an unearned run. Bechtold extended the lead to 2-0 with an RBI-single in the second. An error contributed to another unearned run in the fourth and Bechtold hit a sacrifice fly to complete a two-run inning for a 4-0 advantage.
A Terrapin error on a pop-up by left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) allowed Penn State to cut into the lead at 4-1, but Maryland responded with four runs in the seventh. Two of the runs were unearned, while Dunn, Costes and designated hitter Nick Cieri all tallied RBIs for an 8-1 lead.
Centerfield James Coates (Girard, Ohio) hit an RBI-double and in the seventh and Guers scored on a double play in the ninth for the final margin.
Guers led the Lions at the plate, going 2-for-4.
RHP Brian Shaffer (5-3) earned the win for Maryland, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings.
Freshman RHP Justin Hagenman (6-2) suffered his first Big Ten and home defeat, as his only previous loss came at No. 15 South Carolina on Feb. 28. He allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout. LHP Nick Hedge entered in the seventh after three runs had scored with no outs, and allowed just one hit and struck out three over the remainder of the game.
Penn State will not play midweek due to exams, but will host No. 9 TCU for a three-game series starting Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Purchase Penn State baseball tickets by visiting GoPSUsports.com or calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711. For more information on Penn State baseball tickets please call 814-272-1711 or email Stephen Christ schrist@statecollegespikes.com.