CARY, N.C. – Penn State took both ends of a doubleheader with Princeton Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, walking-off with a 4-3 win in the 10th inning of the first game and routing the Tigers in the second game, 13-1.
Penn State (8-2) has now won five consecutive games, while Princeton fell to 0-3.
Second baseman Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) drove in the game-winning run in the first game with a base hit, while the Nittany Lions used a seven-run first inning to take command of the second game.
Game 1
Princeton catcher Sy Snedeker gave his team a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning with a three-run home run, but Penn State rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shortstop Mac Hippenhammer (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led the inning off with a base hit, used a ground out and wild pitch to advance to third, and then scored on a ball put in play by center fielder Johnny Piacentino (Cherry Hill, N.J.).
The game was scheduled to go seven innings, but it went 10 before Penn State ended the game in the bottom half. Right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.) hit a fly ball that was dropped, allowing him to reach second. He was then sacrificed to third and Homer roped a double into left field to plate Robison for the winning run.
Left fielder Ryan Ford (Freehold, N.J.) went a career-best 4-for-5 in the game for Penn State, while RHP Mason Mellott (2-0) (State College, Pa.) earned the win in relief, yielding just a hit and a walk over the final two innings. RHP Kyle Virbitsky (Media, Pa.) struck out six in five innings and did not allow a walk. He yielded five hits with the only runs scoring on Snedeker's home run. LHP Tyler Shingledecker (Huntersville, N.C.) continued to be dominant in relief, striking out six in three innings of work and allowing just a walk.
Game 2
Hippenhammer drove in a career-high four runs, including two in a seven-run first inning. The Nittany Lions tallied four hits and four walks in the decisive frame, with third baseman Justin Williams (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) starting the scoring with an RBI-double. Robison walked with the bases loaded for the second run and Hippenhammer followed with a base hit for a 4-0 lead. Homer and designated hitter Joe Gunn (New Castle, Pa.) both added RBI-singles and Piacentino hit a sacrifice fly to round out the scoring.
Robison doubled to drive in another run in the second inning before Princeton got on the board in the third. The Nittany Lions iced the game for good with five more runs scoring in the fifth inning, with four scoring unearned with two outs. Hippenhammer drove in two more runs with a base hit for the final margin.
Sophomore LHP Hutch Gagnon (1-0) (Downingtown, Pa.) earned his first career win, striking out a career-high six over five innings, allowing just a run on four hits and two walks.
Next Up
Penn State and Princeton will conclude the four-game series Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
The complete 2020 baseball schedule is available at GoPSUsports.com. Ticket, promotional and broadcast information will be announced at a future date. The 2020 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
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NOTES: Penn State played its first Leap Day game since 2008 and improved to 5-2 all-time on Feb. 29…Penn State is perfect on Leap Day doubleheaders, also winning both games in 1992.
