COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Penn State baseball team (8-17, 8-17) dropped the series opener 11-6 to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday night. A two-run sixth and a four-run eighth for Ohio State was the difference in the game.
Johnny Piacentino and Matt Wood both homered in Friday's matchup.
How it Happened
- Ohio State scored first when the second batter of the bottom of the first homered to right field. The homer to right just cleared the wall to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead.
- The Nittany Lions looked to get the run back in the top of the second. Curtis Robison singled and stole second with two outs in the frame. Parker Hendershot squared up a line drive following the stole base. A leaping play by the Ohio State shortstop took extra bases away from Hendershot and kept the score 1-0 in favor of the Buckeyes.
- A second solo homer in the bottom of the second gave Ohio State a 2-0 lead.
- Freshman shortstop Jay Harry led off the top of the third with a single to left. Back-to-back Nittany Lions were hit by pitches to load the bases.
- The next two Nittany Lions were retired to bring Piacentino to the plate. On a 1-1 count, Piacentino belted a grand slam over the centerfield wall and gave Penn State a 4-2 lead.
- Another solo homer by the Buckeyes in the bottom of the third cut the lead to 4-3.
- Penn State threatened again in the fourth as Hendershot and Harry singled with one out. The next two Nittany Lions were retired to end the inning and Penn State went to the bottom of the fourth leading 4-3.
- Following a leadoff walk, the next two Buckeyes were retired in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out single tied the game at 4-4. After a double put runners on second and third, Penn State stranded the two runners to keep the game tied at 4-4.
- Wood led off the fifth with his solo homer to center on the first pitch of the at bat to put the Nittany Lions back in front, 5-4.
- The Ohio State offense kept pace, scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-5 and a two-run sixth put the Buckeyes back in front at 7-5.
- In the top of the seventh, Tayven Kelley tripled to right field with one out. Wood flew out to center to score Kelley and cut the deficit to 7-6.
- A four-run eighth by the Buckeyes secured a 11-6 win for Ohio State in game one of the series.
Up Next
The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes will be back in action tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m. ET.