Feb. 23, 2018
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CARY, N.C. -- Another strong outing from Penn State starting RHP Justin Hagenman (Vorhees, N.J.was not enough, as UMBC rallied past Penn State, 2-1, in non-conference baseball action Friday afternoon at the USA Baseball National Training Center.
The lone Penn State (3-1) run came in the bottom of the first inning when catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) scored on a wild pitch. UMBC (1-0) tied the game in the fifth on an RBI-sacrifice bunt by shortstop Mitchell Carroll, and then a solo home run by first baseman Dalton Stewart in the seventh inning was the difference.
Hagenman yielded just the first run, allowing five hits and no walks and striking out five in the no decision. At the plate, Penn State drew seven walks but managed just three hits to strand nine on base.
For UMBC RHP Mitchell Wilson worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing the one run on two hits and three walks and striking out four. RHP Jacob Christian (1-0) finished the fifth, yielding a hit and two walks while striking out two and RHP Stephen Schoch (1) struck out three and only walked two over the final three innings for the save
In the first, Sloniger singled to center with one out and third baseman Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.) singled to left with two outs, giving the Nittany Lions runners on the corners, and a wild pitch allowed Sloniger to score.
Neither team was able to get a runner past second base until the fifth when UMBC tied the game. UMBC right fielder Collin Stack beat out an infield hit to shortstop to lead the inning off, and he advanced to third on a one-out single and scored on Carroll's perfect sacrifice towards the first-base side.
Second baseman Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) doubled with two outs in the sixth, but was stranded and it would prove to be the Nittany Lions' final hit of the game.
Stewart put the Retrievers ahead in the seventh with a one-out home run that center fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) just missed robbing before slipped over the left-center field wall. The homer and a walk were the only blemishes for LHP Mark Boricich (0-1) (Chicago, Ill.), who struck out four in two innings of relief of Hagenman.
Designated hitter Tommy Gibson (Williamstown, N.J.) led the bottom half of the seventh off with a walk and advanced to third on a pickoff error and balk with no outs, but Schoch stuck out the next two and induced a fly out to end the inning.
The Nittany Lions went down in order in the eighth and threatened in the ninth as Hughes led the inning off with a walk and reached third after back-to-back groundouts and shortstop Logan Goodnight (Wheeling, W.Va.) walked, but a ground out ended the game.
Penn State's home opener is set for Wednesday, March 14. Season, flex and single-game tickets for the 2018 season, presented by Family Clothesline, are available online at GoPSUsports.com or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.