March 30, 2018
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State moved the tying run into scoring position in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Purdue hung on to defeat the Nittany Lions, 3-2, in Big Ten baseball action Friday night in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Purdue (12-10, 1-0 Big Ten) scored three runs in the first three innings, but was shutout over the final six innings. Penn State (7-13, 1-3 Big Ten) scored a run each in the seventh and eighth innings, but in the ninth Purdue's LHP Ross Leanard (3) worked around a leadoff single by shortstop Joe Weisenseel (Strongsville, Ohio) and sacrifice bunt by second baseman Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.), striking out two to end the game. The Nittany Lions had their chances, but ultimately stranded nine runners on base.
Both starting pitchers yielded just one earned run each. Penn State's RHP Justin Hagenman (2-3) set season highs with seven innings pitched and nine strikeouts, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. For Purdue, RHP Tanner Andrews (3-3) went 6 2/3 innings to earn the win, striking out four and allowing just one run on six hits and two walks. Neither bullpen yielded an earned run, as freshman LHP Jeff Taylor stuck out two and yielded just a hit over the final two innings, and three Purdue relievers combined for 2 2/3 innings pitched with four strikeouts, two hits and an unearned run yielded.
Penn State outhit Purdue, 8-6. First baseman Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.) went 2-for-3 with the lone extra base hit of the game - a double he later scored on in the seventh - and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Robison was one of three Nittany Lions with two hits, as Weisenseel had two hits and drove Robison home in the seventh for an RBI, while third baseman Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.) went 2-for-5. Second baseman Tyler Powers paced Purdue going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while catcher Nick Dalesandro went 1-for-3 with an RBI and first baseman Jacson McGowan drove in a run.
A lead-off error proved costly for Penn State, as the game's first batter, shortstop Harry Shipley, reached when a grounder went under the glove of Hughes at second. Shipley stole second and third bases after reaching, allowing him to score on a sacrifice fly by McGowan.
Penn State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the first, but Andrews was able to get a foul pop-up to the catcher and a strikeout to escape the jam. The outs were the first two of 10 straight he would earn over the first through fourth innings.
The second inning was scoreless, but Purdue added two runs in the third. Dalesandro singled to right center with runners on the corners and one out for the first, and then Robison dropped a throw from Hughes that would have completed a 5-4-3 double play, allowing another run to score.
The middle innings were scoreless. Hagenman retired the sides in order in the fourth and fifth innings and only yielded a walk in the sixth, while a Robison single in the fourth and a single by center fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) was all the Lions could muster.
Hagenman pitched strong to the end, allowing a single but striking out two in the top of the seventh, and then Penn State got on the board in the bottom half. Robison led the inning off with a double down the right line, tagged and took third on a deep fly to right, and then scored on a comebacker by Weisenseel that bounced off the pitcher and pitcher's mound.
In the eighth, Nadeau reached on a throwing error to lead-off the bottom half for Penn State, and he was granted second when the ball went into the Penn State dugout. That allowed him to advance to third on a groundout and score on a sacrifice fly by Robison. Nadeau used his speed on the shallow fly, just beating the tag at the plate.
However, Penn State was unable to get the tying run in the ninth, and Purdue hung on to clinch the series opener.
Penn State and Purdue will conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The second game will start approximately 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
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.
Check back to GoPSUSports.com for continued updates on Penn State Baseball. Follow on Twitter at @PennStateBASE and Facebook at Penn State Baseball.
Notes: After Penn State combined for 20 walks with Cornell Wednesday (10 each), Friday's game against Purdue featured just four walks (two each) ... 10 of Penn State's 20 games this season have been decided by one run, with the Nittany Lions going 4-6 in those games ... Penn State played seven one-run games in 2017 and 12 in 2016.