April 21, 2017
| 5 | 12 |
| Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park, Pa. | 1586 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| Video: Coach Cooper Postgame |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State senior Nick Riotto put together his first career four-hit game, but a big sixth inning propelled Northwestern to a 12-5 victory in Big Ten baseball action Friday evening on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Riotto (Washington, Pa.) reached base five times going 4-for-4 with a home run, walk, three RBIs and two runs to factor in four of Penn State's (12-25, 1-9 B1G) five runs in the game. However, Northwestern (15-22, 3-6 B1G) rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the sixth with nine runs.
Both teams posted 12 hits, but Northwestern yielded only three walks to Penn State's eight. Eight Nittany Lion starters recorded at least one hit while five Wildcat batters had two-hit games.
Penn State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Riotto led the frame off with a single and he stole second and advanced to third on a one-out single by Sloniger. Designated hitter Brett Davis (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) then laid down a perfectly-placed sacrifice bunt towards first base to plate Riotto and advance catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) to second, allowing Sloniger to score on a single hit by third baseman Logan Goodnight (Wheeling, W.Va.) just out of reach of the Wildcat third baseman.
Left fielder Joe Hoscheit doubled down the right line to drive in one in the top of the fourth inning to halve the advantage, but Riotto led off the fourth with a home run to right to restore the two-run advantage, 3-1.
Riotto drove in his second run of the game with a two-out single through the right side in the bottom half of the fourth for a 4-1 advantage, but Northwestern rallied with a nine-run sixth.
The Wildcats sent 12 batters to the plate and scored the runs with just three hits, taking advantage of two errors, four wild pitches and five walks. Right fielder Matt Hopfner hit an RBI-double and Hoscheit hit a two-RBI single to total a team-high three RBIs.
For the final margin, Northwestern added a run each in the top of the seventh and eighth, and Riotto singled home a run for Penn State in the bottom of the seventh.
RHP Tyler Lass (1-0) earned the win with just three pitches. He retired the lone batter he faced to end the fifth inning, and Northwestern took the lead for good in the top of the sixth. LHP Cooper Wetherbee went 4 2/3 innings at the start, allowing four runs on seven hits two walks with four strikeouts.
RHP Sal Biasi went five-plus innings, walking the two batters he faced in the sixth. He finished with seven strikeouts and was charged with three runs on five hits and three walks. He had allowed just one run through the first five. His replacement, RHP Dakota Forsyth (Bethel Park, Pa.) (3-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season.
Saturday (6 p.m.), the Lions will look to White Out the Wildcats, giving away white shakers while supplies last and encouraging fans to wear white. Fans will also receive a limited edition, numbered Penn State Football print that features some of the greatest moments from the thrilling 2016 season, then one number will be chosen during the game to select a lucky fan who will win a football autographed by members of the Blue-White football roster. Sunday (1 p.m.) will be Salute to Service Day, as all Veterans and First Responders can claim up to four free tickets by contacting Steve Christ at 814-272-0208 (additional tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of $2). Fans will be able to see first responder vehicles up close in the Porter North Parking Lot in the Touch-A-Truck exhibit.
With many events on campus Saturday, including the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium at 3 p.m. and baseball against Northwestern at 6 p.m., fans interested in the baseball game only are encouraged to arrive before 5 p.m. Fans are encouraged to access Lot 44 by heading Northbound on Porter Road and turning into lots south of Beaver Stadium between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. They are also advised to allow plenty of time to get to the field and note that many roads, including Porter Road, will be turned into a one-way exit for football traffic. Gates at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park will open at 4:30 p.m.
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.