UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Dante Biasi (Hazle Township, Pa.) struck out a career-high 13 batters, Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) drove in two runs and Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) homered to give Penn State a 3-1 home-opening baseball win over UMass Lowell Friday afternoon on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Penn State improved to 11-3 on the season, continuing its best start since the 1980 team opened at 11-3, as well. UMass Lowell fell to 2-14, opening its fourth series of the season against an Autonomy Five team.
Biasi was dominant, striking out the sides in the first and third innings and ultimately striking out 13 of the 25 batters he faced. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks, tying his career high of seven innings pitched.
Sloniger's home run was the difference, as he led off the bottom of the seventh with a shot over the right field fence, making it 2-1 game in favor of Penn State. Kremer's first run driven in tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning and the second gave the Nittany Lions an insurance run in the eighth.
In the final two innings, RHP Mason Mellott (3) (State College, Pa.) struck out two and allowed just a hit and a walk to secure the game.
UMass Lowell was first on the scoreboard in the second inning. Designated hitter Ted Leathersich led off with a single and shortstop Oscar Marchena hit a one-out double that got over the head of right fielder Mac Hippenhammer (Fort Wayne, Ind.), which advanced Leathersich to third and allowed him to score on a sacrifice fly by the next batter, third baseman Joey Castellanos.
Biasi only allowed one more hit for the rest of the game- a bunt single by Marchena in the seventh.
The Lions tied up the score in the fourth inning. Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) and Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) were both hit by pitches to start off the frame, Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance them both into scoring position, and then Homer tagged and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kremer.
UMass Lowell RHP Connor Metelski (0-4) did not allow a hit until Homer singled in the sixth inning. The only other hit he allowed was Sloniger's home run. He left the game after the seventh, allowing the two runs on two hits, two walks and four hit batsmen.
Hendershot and Kremer added an insurance run in the eighth, all with two outs. Hendershot singled to right center, stole second on a great dirt ball read, and after battling with two strikes, Kremer singled to left center and scored Hendershot from second.
Penn State and UMass Lowell will continue the series with a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday and a single game Sunday starting at noon.
The 2019 Penn State baseball season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Tickets are on sale online by clicking here or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.
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NOTES: Biasi's 13 strikeouts were the most by a Penn State pitcher since Alan Stidfole stuck out 13 gainst Northwestern on April 10, 2005 … Penn State's 15 strikeouts as a team were its most since striking out 15 against Lafayette on April 25, 2018 … Sloniger's homer was the first in a home opener since Jordan Sterenka hit one against Pitt on March 21, 2012 … Mellott's save marked the sixth game out of 11 wins in which he's earned either a win (3-0) or a save (3) … The home opener was Penn State's earliest on the calendar in program history, surpassing last year's March 17 opening by two days.
