UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – An early home run to the deepest part of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park by freshman Justin Williams (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) in the second inning and a game-ending play at the plate started by second baseman Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) led Penn State to a 3-2 win over Lafayette in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night.
Penn State (18-18) led Lafayette (14-25) from Williams' estimated 445-foot blast in the second inning to the end, but Kremer, who entered the game late as a defensive replacement, threw the potential game-tying run out at home to end the game in the top of the ninth. With runners on first and second and two outs, Lafayette left fielder Trey Durrah hit a grounder between first and second that Kremer tracked down with a sliding stop in shallow right field. Shortstop Justin Johnson attempted to score from second on the play, but Kremer stood up and fired a strike home to catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.), and Sloniger tagged out Johnson to end the game.
RHP Mason Mellott (5) (State College, Pa.) earned his fifth save of the season after keeping the Leopards scoreless over the final two innings and striking out three. Penn State RHP Conor Larkin (3-2) (Royersford, Pa.) earned the win, striking out seven batters in a career-high six innings without any walks and just six hits allowed.
Williams blast was the first score of the game, as his dep blast soared over "The Nook" in left-center field.. After two scoreless innings, right fielder Mac Hippenhammer (Fort Wayne, Ind.) hit his first career triple in the fifth and used his speed again to score on a fielder's choice grounder hit back to the pitcher by Sloniger for a 2-0 lead.
Penn State added another run the very next inning for a 3-0 lead. After getting hit by a pitch to lead the frame off, left fielder Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) stole second and advanced to third on a balk. First baseman Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.) followed shortly after with an RBI-single.
Lafayette added two runs on a walk, two hits and an error in the seventh, but Mellott and Kremer were able to secure the win late.
Penn State plays Maryland next, opening a three-game homestand on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
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.
Follow Penn State baseball on Twitter and Instagram at @PennStateBASE and Facebook at /pennstatebaseball for all of the latest news and updates and behind the scenes action.
NOTES: Williams' home run was his third of the season … With 10 strikeouts total strikeouts for the game, Penn State has struck out nine or more batters in 29 out of 36 games this season … Jordan Bowersox went 0-for-4, snapping a 16-game hitting streak … Penn State improved to 17-5 in non-conference games and 8-7 in one-run games.
