March 31, 2017
| 6 | 10 |
| Wilpon Complex | Ann Arbor, Mich. | 422 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| Video : Coach Cooper Postgame |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ââ'¬" Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) homered and drove in three and Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) drove in two, but it was not enough as No. 22 Michigan earned a 10-6 victory in Big Ten baseball action Friday afternoon in Ray Fisher Stadium.
Penn State (10-14, 0-1 Big Ten) chipped away at a five-run deficit in the fifth and six innings to make it a 6-4 game, but Michigan (20-6, 2-2 Big Ten) responded with four runs, three unearned, in the seventh.
Bowersox paced the Nittany Lion offense, reaching base three times by going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk. His three RBIs were a career high, and his home run was the second of the season and his career. The first seven batters recorded at least one hit and ninth reached base.
Michigan out-hit Penn State 11-8 with all nine batters reaching base and the first eight recording a hit. LHP Oliver Jaskie (4-1) struck out 12 in six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks.
Down 5-0, the Nittany Lions fought back into the game in the fifth. With Riotto on after a leadoff error and two down, Bowersox homered to left field to cut the deficit to three at 5-2. Michigan got one run back in the bottom half as shortstop Michael Brdar tripled with one out and scored on a base hit by third baseman Drew Lugbauer, but Penn State pulled within two in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI single by Riotto. First baseman Willie Burger (Lancaster, Pa.) singled to lead off the frame, and Jaskie battled back with two strikeouts, but right fielder Braxton Giavedoni (Punxsutawney, Pa.) dropped a single into center and a wild pitch during Riotto's at-bat moved both up a base. Riotto fouled off a pair of pitches in a 2-2 count before blooping a base hit behind the dirt along the left line to score both and pull within two.
Michigan was able to build its largest lead in the seventh though. After a double play erased a leadoff walk, the Wolverines loaded the bases on a hit and two walks, and then a wild pitch scored the first run and three more were added after an error.
Helsel and Bowersox drove in a run each in the top of the ninth for the final margin.
Michigan had built a five-run lead in the first four innings. Brdar hit a sacrifice fly in the first and a passed ball allowed a run to score in the second. The third was scoreless, but right fielder Jonathan Engelmann hit a two-RBI single to start the scoring in the fourth and catcher Harrison Wenson added a sacrifice fly for a three-run frame.
RHP Sal Biasi (3-3) was tagged with the loss, allowing the five runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Penn State and Michigan will continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m. before concluding it Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
Season, flex and single-game ticket options for the 2017 Penn State baseball season in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park are now on sale at GoPSUsports.com or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711. Ask about the hospitality suite option for season ticket holders.
Check back to GoPSUSports.com for continued updates on Penn State Baseball. Follow on Twitter at @PennStateBASE and Facebook at Penn State Baseball.