UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State third baseman Justin Williams (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) drove in three runs and five Nittany Lion pitchers combined for nine strikeouts to give Penn State a school-record 435 strikeouts for the year, but Towson rallied with six unanswered runs for a 6-4 win in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Penn State (20-22) broke its previous single-season strikeout record of 434, set in 2017.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Williams drove in three runs in the first two innings. Williams drove in left fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.), who had reached on a and stolen second base, with a base hit in the first inning. Shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) singled to drive in the first run of the second inning, and later with two outs and the bases loaded, Williams hit a laser up the middle to drive in two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
Williams' second-inning single had a measured exit speed of 109 MPH, making it the hardest-hit Penn State hit this season.
Towson (13-34) rallied in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings though, scoring an unearned run in the fourth and three runs in the fifth and the go-ahead run in the sixth. Shortstop Dirk Masters drove in the fourth-inning run unearned to get Towson on the board. In the fifth, right fielder Tom Flacco led off the inning with a walk and later scored from third on a wild pitch. Second baseman Noah Cabrera doubled to left field to drive in another run and left fielder Jack Rotteveel tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Third baseman Zach Piazza hit a two-out single to left to drive Masters in from third in the sixth for the lead. The Tigers added an unearned run in the ninth for the final margin.
RHP John Cranston (1-0) earned the win for Towson with a perfect fifth inning and RHP Kody Reeser (2) was perfect in the ninth with two strikeouts for the save. RHP Jared Freilich (Worcester, Mass.) (1-1) was charged with the loss after allowing the run in the sixth. RHP Bailey Dees (Charlotte, N.C.) started for Penn State and worked the first two innings, striking out two and and allowing two hits and a walk.
Penn State concludes its Big Ten slate at Ohio State this weekend, opening the three-game series Friday at 6:35 p.m. in Bill Davis Stadium.
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: Justin Williams extended his reached base streak to 10 games … Penn State has struck out nine or more batters in 34 out of 42 games this season … Penn State is 17-6 in non-conference play this season.
