May 4, 2018
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State offense exploded for season highs in hits (15) and runs (13), while RHP Justin Hagenman (Voorhees, N.J.) worked seven shutout innings in a 13-1 win over Michigan State in Big Ten baseball action on a rainy Friday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The two teams will conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m., as Sunday's game was moved to Saturday due to the threat of inclement weather. The final game will start 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
The series opener was secured with 11 runs over the third and fourth innings. After scoring a run each in the first and second innings, Penn State (10-28, 2-17 Big Ten) broke the game open with four runs in the third inning and seven in the fourth. On the mound, Hagenman (3-5) worked seven innings, limiting Michigan State (16-24, 7-8 Big Ten) to three hits and a walk while striking out seven. The Spartans' lone run came unearned in the top of the ninth.
Every Nittany Lion starter tallied a hit and five -- catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.), designated hitter Shea Sbranti (Oakley, Calif.), third baseman Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.), pinch hitter/left fielder Braxton Giavedoni (Punsutawney, Pa.) and second baseman Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) -- posted two-hit games. Kremer led Penn State with career highs of two doubles and three RBIs, right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.) and shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) a tallied two RBIs each, and Sloniger, Sbranti and Robison also tallied doubles.
Shortstop Ryan King paced the Spartans offensively, accounting for three of their four hits in the game and driving in the lone run. RHP Ethan Landon (3-6) suffered the loss after allowing 10 runs (nine earned) in three-plus innings of work.
All of Penn State's scoring took place in the first four innings. Sloniger started the scoring with a first-inning double with one out, advancing to third on a groundout and scoring on a two-out single up the middle by Klemann. Left fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) scored in the second inning after singling with one out, taking second on a wild pitch and scoring on a Kremer double down the left line.
The Lions went ahead 6-0 with a four-run third inning. Robison took advantage of rainy conditions with the bases loaded on a deep fly to center that the fielder could not corral on the slippery field, driving in two runs. Hughes hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the third run of the frame and an error yielded another run.
Penn State then sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring seven runs on six hits, two walks and a hit by pitch. Sloniger walked and first baseman Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) was plunked to leadoff the inning, and Sloniger scored on a double down the right line by Sbranti. Klemann drew a walk to chase Landon and reload the bases, and LHP Evan Flohr struck out Robison for the first out, but Hughes, a pinch-hitting Giavedoni, Kremer centerfielder Jordan Bowersox (Tampa, Fla.) and Sloniger all followed with RBI-hits, led by Kremer driving in two with a double. Hendershot then hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Spartans bullpen locked down over the final four innings, yielding just two hits.
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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Notes: The win snapped a 15-game Big Ten losing streak for Penn State ... Penn State's 15 hits were its most since May 16, 2017 against Villanova ... Penn State's 13 runs were its most overall since scoring 20 in a win at Lafayette on April 6, 2016, most at home since scoring 16 in a win over Niagara on March 19, 2016 and most in a Big Ten game since scoring 15 in a win over Indiana on March 22, 2015 ... It was Hagenman's first scoreless outing since throwing five shutout innings at Elon in the season opener ... The seven runs scored in the fourth inning tied Penn State's season-high for runs in an inning, first set in the second game of the year at Elon.