MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Penn State offense came alive in the final game of its four-game series against Northwestern on Sunday with a 13-10 win over the Wildcats. The Nittany Lions bounced back after dropping two in Saturday's doubleheader.
Freshman Johnny Piacentino tied a Penn State record with three home runs in Sunday's win. Piacentino went 3-4 with four RBI and four runs scored. Along with Piacentino, Matt Wood hit his first home run of the season and Josh Spiegel continued his torrid start by going 2-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
Chad Rogers picked up the win in relief, going three innings and allowing just one run. Steven Miller worked a scoreless ninth for the save and the series split.
How it Happened
- After a first inning run for the Wildcats, the Penn State offense immediately responded. Gavin Homer continued his red-hot start by singling up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Homer scored on a single by Wood to tie the game a 1-1. Piacentino then laced his first home run to dead center to put the Nittany Lions up 3-1.
- Kyle Virbitsky got a pair of punchouts in the top of the second to bring the Nittany Lions to the dish.
- Homer got the rally started again with his second hit of the game and advanced to second on a balk. Following a Wood walk and a Piacentino groundout, Homer scored as Wood was caught stealing but Homer scored before the out could be recorded.
- Northwestern pushed across four runs in the top of the third. The Wildcats were powered by a three-run home run in the inning.
- After Kyle Hannon reached on a bunt single, Spiegel sent his third homer of the season over the left centerfield wall to put the Nittany Lions back in front 6-5.
- The Wildcats plated two runs in the top of the fourth and retook the lead at 7-6. In the bottom half of the frame, Wood and Piacentino hit back-to-back solo home runs to give Penn State its lead back at 8-7.
- A two-run homer by Northwestern erased Penn State's lead in the top of the fifth.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Piacentino hit his third home run to tie it at 9-9. The Nittany Lions added three more runs in the inning and held a 12-9 lead at the end of the sixth.
- Rogers entered the game in the top of the sixth and limited the hot-hitting Wildcats to just one run over the sixth, seventh and eighth.
- Steven Miller worked a scoreless ninth for the save as the Nittany Lions split the opening weekend.
Stats
Kyle Virbitsky – 3.1 IP, 5 Ks
Logan Evans – 1 IP, 2 Ks
Ralph Gambino – 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER
Chad Rogers – (W, 1-0) 3 IP, 1 ER
Steven Miller – (S,1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER
Johnny Piacentino – 3-4, 3 HRs, 4 R, 4 RBI
Matt Wood – 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
Josh Spiegel – 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Penn State heads to Indiana for a four-game series March 12-14.