UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team (12-18) won its fourth straight game and swept Michigan State with a 5-3 win on Sunday afternoon. A strong start by Kyle Virbitsky and timely hitting by the Penn State offense led to the two-run win.
Penn State travels to Iowa next weekend for a three-game set in Iowa City.
How it Happened
For the third straight game, the Nittany Lions scored the first run of the game.
After a scoreless top of the first for Michigan State, Gavin Homer and Matt Wood both singled to begin the frame. Red hot Johnny Piacentino doubled to center to score Homer from second and give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead.
Virbitsky worked around a pair of baserunners, striking out the side in the process to keep the Nittany Lions ahead after two innings of work.
Virbitsky retired eight straight before the Spartan offense was able to take the lead in the top of the fifth. Michigan State scored three runs in the inning, aided by a error by the Nittany Lions in the frame.
Penn State wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the fifth. Jay Harry led off with a single and Homer was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for Wood. Wood doubled off the right field wall and tied the game at 3-3.
Virbitsky stranded two runners in the top of the sixth to bring Penn State to the plate.
Parker Hendershot singled to lead off the inning, advancing to second and then third after a pair of groundouts. A seven-pitch at bat by Harry resulted in an RBI single to left field, scoring Hendershot and put Penn State back in front, 4-3.
The Nittany Lion bullpen worked scoreless innings in both the seventh and eighth to keep Penn State ahead.
Penn State added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Harry singled home Cole Bartels to give the Nittany Lions a 5-3 advantage headed to the ninth.
Mason Mellott stranded runners on the corners, striking out two in the ninth to secure his second save of the weekend and the sweep for Penn State.
NOTES
Mason Mellott now has 11 saves in his Penn State career, this is tied for fourth all-time at PSU with Shawn Fagan (1997-2000).
Gavin Homer has reached base safely in his last 20 games, the longest streak of the season for a Penn State hitter.
Kyle Virbitsky has struck out at least six batters in each of his last seven starts.