April 27, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State leads Northwestern, 6-4, in the bottom of the eighth inning of a Big Ten baseball game suspended due to weather Friday evening on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. It will resume at 1 p.m. Saturday and then will be followed by the second game of the series at its original start time of 2 p.m.
When the game resumes, second baseman Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) is on first and pinch hitter Shea Sbranti (Oakley, Calif.) is batting.
Designated hitter Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) is pacing the Lions at the plate going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) is 1-for-2 with two RBIs, a double, sacrifice fly, run scored and walk. On the mound, RHP Justin Hagenman (Voorhees, N.J.) worked a season-high eight innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on 10 hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.
For Northwestern, designated hitter Connor Lind and center fielder Ben Dickey are both 3-for-4, accounting for six of the Wildcats' 10 hits. Lind also has a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Northwestern was first on the board in the second inning after stringing together back-to-back hits. Third baseman Charlie Maxwell doubled down the right line and Lind followed with a single to right-center to drive him home.
Penn State tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Bowersox. Right fielder Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) doubled to lead off the frame and was sacrificed to third to move into scoring position, and he scored on Bowersox's fly to left.
Northwestern went back ahead with a run in the fourth, 2-1, but Penn State scored the next five runs, all with two outs, to build a 6-2 lead. The Nittany Lions started the rally by scoring two runs with two down in the fifth to take its first lead, 3-2. Weisenseel drew a two-out walk, which was followed by a Bowersox double to drive him home. Sloniger then lifted a single to right center to plate Bowersox.
The sixth was scoreless, but Penn State scored three in the seventh after its first two batters of the inning were retired. Bowersox walked, Sloniger singled, and after a pitching change, third baseman Connor Klemann drew a walk to load the bases. That brought Hendershot to the plate, and then during his at-bat, Bowersox scored on a wild pitch. Sloniger and Klemann both advanced a base, as well, and Hendershot drove in both with a base hit.
The Wildcats halved the deficit though in the eighth with a pair of unearned runs to trail, 6-4.
Hughes singled with one out in the bottom of the eighth for Penn State, but thunderstorms moved in and the game was halted at 8:48 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.
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