MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Penn State baseball team (1-2, 1-2) dropped a pair of games to the Northwestern Wildcats (2-1, 2-1) on Saturday. Penn State fell 2-0 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader and dropped the second game 5-2.
Senior Gavin Homer finished the afternoon with four hits to pace the Nittany Lion offense and the Nittany Lion pitching staff punched out 22 Wildcats in the twin bill.
How it Happened
Game 1
- Junior Conor Larkin took the hill for the seven-inning contest to begin the day for Penn State. Larkin punched out the side in the opening frame, picking up right where he left off in 2020 when he led Penn State's staff in strikeouts.
- Homer recorded the first hit of his afternoon to lead off the bottom of the first but was quickly erased as the Wildcats induced a 6-4-3 double play. Matt Wood singled to extend the frame, but the Nittany Lions couldn't get on the board in the first.
- Northwestern rattled off three straight hits to begin the second inning, scoring their only two runs of the game. Larkin got a pair of strikeouts and Wood caught a would-be base stealer to stop any further damage.
- Penn State put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the second but was unable to cut into the lead.
- Homer singled again to open the third and then stole second with one out. Justin Williams singled with two outs to put runners on the corners again for the Nittany Lions. The Wildcats pitcher got a strikeout to end the threat.
- After the two-run second inning, Larkin did not allow another run and finished his first start going four innings and striking out eight. Larkin was replaced by Mason Mellott who went three innings and allowed just one hit and struck out four and did not allow a run.
- The Nittany Lions were unable to put together a rally to send the game to extras and fell 2-0.
Game 2
- Freshman Jaden Henline made his first career start, striking out the side in his first collegiate inning.
- The Penn State offense struck quickly in game two as Homer doubled and Wood singled on a bunt to put runners on the corners. Homer scored on a balk and Wood advanced to second. Johnny Piacentino walked and Williams grounded into a double play as Wood moved to third. Josh Spiegel doubled home Wood to put the Nittany Lions ahead 2-0.
- In the top of the third, the Wildcats had three-straight hitters reach and cut the Nittany Lions lead to 2-1. Henline worked two more scoreless innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Henline finished his first college start with six punch outs over four innings.
- In the bottom of the fourth with two outs, Curtis Robison narrowly missed his first home run of the season as he sent a blast off the wall in right field that hit just below the line and nearly gave Penn State a 3-1 lead but was held to a double. Parker Hendershot squared up a line drive right back at the Northwestern pitcher who snagged the line shot to keep the deficit a 2-1.
- Penn State kept Northwestern at bay until the top of the seventh. Following a leadoff double, the Nittany Lions got a pair of outs before the Wildcats rattled off three straight singles to take a 3-2 lead and added another on a wild pitch to grab a 4-2 lead.
- Northwestern took advantage of two throwing miscues by the Nittany Lions to add an insurance run in the eighth.
- The Nittany Lions put two runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not tie or take the lead and dropped the second game 5-2.
Stats
Game 1
Conor Larkin (L, 0-1) – 4 IP, 6 H, 8 Ks, 2 ER
Mason Mellott – 3 IP, 4 Ks, 1 H, 0 ER
Gavin Homer – 2-3, SB
Matt Wood – 2-3, 2B
Game 2
Henline - 4 IP, 6 Ks, 1 ER
Gagnon - 1 IP, 1 H
Gambino - 1 IP, 1 H
Freilich (L, 0-1) - 2 IP, 3 ER
Kohls - 1 IP, 1 K
Josh Spiegel – 2-4, 2B, RBI
Gavin Homer - 2-4, 2B
The Nittany Lions conclude the series tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET.