Feb. 16, 2018
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ELON, N.C. -- Strong pitching and defense led Penn State to a 2-1 victory over Elon in the baseball season opener for both teams Friday at Latham Park.
The three-game series continues Saturday at 11 a.m. Originally scheduled for 2 p.m., the game time was moved up three hours due to the threat of inclement weather. The series finale is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
RHP Justin Hagenman (Vorhees, N.J.) (1-0) struck out seven in five innings for Penn State (1-0), limiting Elon (0-1) to four hits and two walks, while EHP Eric Mock (Shillington, Pa.) (1) struck out all three batters he in the ninth for his first career save. The Lions' bullpen retired the last eight batters of the game.
Junior catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) and redshirt sophomore Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.) drove in the Nittany Lions' runs with a solo home run and RBI-single, respectively, and Klemann accounted for two of Penn State's four hits.
The game was scoreless through the first three innings until Sloniger lifted a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall in the fourth. Penn State extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, taking advantage of a hit batter and a walk as Klemann drove a base hit into center field, allowing junior first baseman Shea Sbranti (Oakely, Calif.) to score from second.
Hagenman faced just one over the minimum in the first four innings before Elon loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Hagenman earned his seventh strikeout of the afternoon to keep the Phoenix off the board.
Elon stranded two more in the sixth facing Penn State LHP Marko Boricich (Chicago, Ill.) before loading the bases again in the seventh. After an infield fly for the first out of the inning, Elon's Joe Satterfield singled to right field to drive in one. RHP Nick Distasio (Oley, Pa.) battled back to strike out the next batter and then second baseman Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) made a diving stop to keep a batted ball in the infield, making the toss to first to end the inning.
Distasio struck out all three batters in the eighth, and Mock did the same in the ninth for his first career save.
Penn State pitchers totaled 15 strikeouts, with Hagenman tallying the first seven, Boricich tallying one, Distasio tallying four in two innings and Mock's three. The Lions were not immune to strikeouts at the plate themselves though, as Elon starter RHP George Kirby (0-1) struck out 11 in five innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks, while RHP Brandon Justice recorded five over the last 3 2/3 innings.
Penn State's home opener is set for Wednesday, March 14. Season, flex and single-game tickets are available online at GoPSUsports.com or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.
Notes: Two new Nittany Lions started for Penn State -- junior Shea Sbranti (first base) and freshman Curtis Robison (designated hitter) -- and both reached base in their first plate appearances tallying a single and walk, respectively ... Freshman Mac Hippenhammer made his debut as a pinch runner in the top of the eighth inning, and freshman Tommy Gibson made his debut when he replaced Hippenhammer in the lineup in the bottom half of the eighth, playing third base, as neither recorded a plate appearance ... The win is Penn State's first in a season opener since 2014, snapping a three-game skid.