April 20, 2018
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. ââ'¬" Michigan scored early and often in a 19-5 win over Penn State in Big Ten baseball action Friday afternoon in Ray Fisher Stadium.
Third baseman Blake Nelson led Michigan (22-11, 9-0 Big Ten) going 4-for-5 with three doubles and six RBIs, while centerfielder Jonathan Engelmann went 2-for-3 with a home run, sacrifice fly, walk, three RBIs and three runs. Also posting three-hit games were catcher Brock Keener, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and right fielder Christian Bullock, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI. First baseman Jesse Franklin also homered as part of a 2-for-4 effort, and designated hitter Dominic Clementi drove in three and scored a game-high four times, going 2-for-4 with a double.
Penn State (8-23, 1-12 Big Ten) center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) led the game off with a double and the Nittany Lions had runners reach in all but one inning, but they were unable to push any across until scoring five in the ninth. Bowersox hit a two-RBI triple to start the ninth inning, and an error, RBI-double by third baseman Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.) and an RBI-single by designated hitter Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) accounted for the three additional runs.
RHP Jake Pilewicz (Sewickley, Pa.) was Penn State's most effective pitcher, working the final 4 1/3 innings and yielding just an unearned run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
However, it was all Michigan early on. On the mound, RHP Tommy Henry (7-0) allowed just a hit and a walk in five innings of work for the, striking out eight, while the offense did most of its damage in the first four innings.
The Wolverines posted five runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double by Nelson. They added five more in the second, led by a solo home run over the tall left field wall by Engelmann. Franklin hit a two-run home run in the third, and then the Wolverines added six more in the fourth, with five coming unearned after an error. Nelson drove in another with a double in the sixth for the final Michigan score.
Penn State and Michigan continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tickets for the 2018 Penn State baseball 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.