UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Twenty-one base runners on nine hits, 10 walks and two hit batsmen, and a strong pitching effort led Penn State past Bucknell, 9-3, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Penn State (15-8) scored in each of the first five innings and five Nittany Lion pitchers combined to hold Bucknell (8-21) to four hits. However, walks and defensive miscues plagued both teams, as Penn State issued nine walks while Bucknell issued 10, and both teams committed four errors.
All nine Penn State starters reached base at least once, led by center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) reaching in all five plate appearances with two hits and a five walks. Right fielder Mac Hippenhammer (Fort Wayne, Ind.) reached four times going 3-for-4 with a hit by pitch. Bowersox and Hippenhammer also tallied and RBI each and Bowersox scored twice. Second baseman Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) tallied a game-high three RBIs with a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning.
The Nittany Lions took command early. An RBI-single that turned into a Little League home run for Bowersox in the bottom of the first gave the Lions an early 2-0 lead. Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) was on second after walking and stealing second and scored on the play. Bowersox was stretching for second on the cutoff throw, and the third baseman cut off the throw home and went for Bowersox at second, but his toss sailed into the outfield and allowed Bowersox to score.
Hippenhammer added to Penn State's lead in the second inning after a single, stolen base and sacrifice bunt advanced him to third. On his second plate appearance of the night, Homer launched a ball into the left field to advance Hippenhammer home for a 3-0 lead.
In the third, designated hitter Ryan Ford (Freehold, N.J.) became the fourth Nittany Lion to round the bases after a series of walks and a two-out, line-drive single from Hippenhammer advanced him home increasing Penn State's lead 4-0.
Bucknell answered back to the Nittany Lion four-run lead with a run on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth, but Penn State broke the game open in the bottom half on Kremer's bases clearing double. Bowersox, Homer and Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) set the table with three-straight walks, and Kremer delivered with a line drive down the left line. Kremer then took third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball for an 8-1 lead.
The Bison added a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI-single by center fielder JohnPaul Bell. Penn State did the same in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.)
RHP Bailey Dees (Charlotte, N.C.) got the start for Penn State and worked two innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit and three walks, while RHP Conor Larkin (2-0) (Royersford, Pa.) worked 2.2 innings, also striking out three and allowing a run on three hits. Freshman Hutch Gagnon (Downington, Pa.) was also effective, allowing just a walk and striking out two in two innings.
RHP Andrew Funovits was most effective for Bucknell, throwing three scoreless and hitless innings after entering in the sixth. RHP Nicholas Sadd (1-1) started and suffered the loss after pitching the first three innings.
Penn State takes the field again at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Wednesday, hosting St. Bonaventure starting at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the 2019 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.
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: Penn State's 15 wins in 23 games this season matches its win total for the entirety of 2018 … Penn State's 15-8 start is its best since starting the 2000 season 17-6 … Penn State's four strikeouts on offense in the game were a season-low … With 10 strikeouts in the game, Penn State has now struck out nine or more batters in 18 out of 23 games this season … Penn State head coach Rob Cooper is two wins shy of 400 for his career … Penn State has won 28 of the last 29 games against Bucknell, and 24 straight at home.
