UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team (4-10, 4-10) dropped a pair of games to the #18 Michigan Wolverines (11-4, 11-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions fell 17-4 in game one and dropped game two 8-6 in 10 innings.
Penn State hits the road for its next series against Rutgers.
How It Happened
Game 1
- The Nittany Lions go on the board early in the bottom of the first. After a lead off ground out, Johnny Piacentino went deep with a drive into the left field bleachers to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. It was Piacentino's fourth home run of the season.
- Nittany Lion starter Conor Larkin worked through three scoreless innings before Michigan struck for three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead over the Nittany Lions.
- Penn State responded by scoring three of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Piacentino laced a double to left to lead off the inning. Piacentino advanced to third on a wild pitch and would score several pitches later because of another wild pitch.
- Two walks for the Nittany Lions and a sac bunt put runners in scoring position for Penn State. Justin Williams was cut down at the plate trying to score as the infield was drawn in.
- Tayven Kelley drilled a double to right field to score two and give the Nittany Lions the lead back at 4-3 after four innings.
- The Michigan offense came alive over the next two innings, scoring five in the fifth and three in the sixth. The Wolverines would add another run in the eighth and then five in the ninth to top the Nittany Lions 17-4 in game one of the doubleheader.
Game 2
- Michigan looked to keep the momentum in their favor, scoring the first run of the game in the top of the second with two outs in the inning.
- Starter Kyle Virbtisky settled in after surrendering the run in the second. Virbitsky got the side in order in the top of the third to bring the Nittany Lions to the plate.
- Making his first career start, Tyson Cooper worked a lead off walk and Jay Harry doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs.
- Piacentino effectively grounded out to score Cooper. Following a strikeout, the next six Nittany Lions reached safely. The biggest of these plays was a two-run single by Curtis Robison and Penn State scored five in the frame to take a 5-1 lead.
- Penn State added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Robison delivered again with a two-out single to score Williams and push the lead to 6-1.
- Michigan got a run back in the top of the fifth with a solo homer into the right field bleachers. The Wolverines plated two in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-4.
- Virbitsky finished his outing with a line of 5.2 IP, four earned runs and tied a career-best with seven Ks.
- Mason Mellott came on in relief for Virbitsky in the sixth and pitched into the ninth. Mellott worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
- In the ninth, Mellott got the leadoff hitter to ground out. The second hitter of the frame reached on a throwing error.
- A wild pitch allowed for the runner to move up to second and the third hitter of the inning walked to put runners on first and second.
- Mellott induced a would-be double play but a throwing error allowed for Michigan to score a run and put to runners on. A single scored the tying run to score.
- This was the end of Mellott's day as Steven Miller came on to pitch for the Nittany Lions.
- Miller needed only one pitch to get a double play to end the top of the ninth.
- Williams, Josh Spiegel and Gavin Homer were the hitters for the Nittany Lions in the bottom of the ninth.
- Williams led off and gave it a ride but flew out just shy of the warning track. Spiegel narrowly missed a walk off homer as he hooked a liner just to the left of the foul poll. Spiegel was retired and Gavin Homer followed with a single. A flyout ended the inning and brought the Wolverine's to the plate.
- With an out in the top of the tenth, a hit by pitch put a runner on. A passed ball and a wild pitch moved the runner to third. A double scored the go ahead run to make it 7-6 Michigan. Another double with two outs pushed the lead to 8-6.
- The Nittany Lions brought the tying run to the plate after a two-out single by Cooper. A strikeout ended the inning and the Wolverines took game two 8-6.