MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Penn State baseball team opened its 2021 season with a 6-3 win on Friday afternoon over the Northwestern Wildcats in the first of their four-game series. Opening day starter Bailey Dees and reliever Tyler Shingledecker combined to strike out 14 Wildcat hitters. Josh Spiegel paced the offensive with a 3-4 day including a pair of home runs and two RBIs.
How It Happened
- After a scoreless first inning from Dees, the Wildcats scored the first run of the game with two outs in the top of the second. With a runner on second a fly ball was sent into the outfield by the Wildcats hitter. The ball got lost in the ceiling of U.S. Bank Stadium and fell, allowing the runner to score.
- Penn State tied the game in the bottom half of the frame on Spiegel's homer to left field to lead off the inning.
- Northwestern pushed across another run in the top of the third. A lead-off walk followed by a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position. A shallow fly into centerfield with two outs allowed for the runner to score and the Wildcats to go in front for the second time.
- Penn State responded for the second straight inning as Jay Harry doubled for his first collegiate hit to lead off the bottom of the third. Gavin Homer reached on an infield single and Harry scored as the Wildcat infielder's throw was over the head of first baseman after a diving stop.
- The Nittany Lions sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the fourth as Spiegel launched his second home run of the game on a curveball that caught too much of the plate. Penn State scored two more runs after loading the bases with one out in the frame. Johnny Piacentino walked and Matt Wood was hit by a pitch to force in a pair of runs.
- Dees worked a perfect fifth inning and that would be his final inning of his opening day performance. Dees finished the day with five punchouts over five innings and allowed just two hits.
- The Wildcats scored a run in the top of the eighth to cut the Nittany Lions lead to 5-3.
- A third lead off homerun, this time by pinch hitter Parker Hendershot, put Penn State up 6-3 heading into the ninth.
- Shingledecker struck out the side in the final frame, leaving the tying run at the plate to give the Nittany Lions the opening day win.
Stat Leaders
Dees (W, 1-0) – 5 IP, 5 Ks, 2 H, 2 ER
Shingledecker (S, 1) – 4 IP, 9 Ks, 2 H
Spiegel – 3-4, 2 HRs, 2B, 2 RBIs
Hendershot – 1-1, 1 HR
Tomorrow's Probable Starters
Game 1 – 10 a.m. ET
Penn State – Conor Larkin (0-0)
Northwestern – Tyler Uberstine (0-0)
Game 2 – 1 p.m. ET
Penn State – Jaden Henline (0-0)
Northwestern – Mike Doherty (0-0)