CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Penn State baseball team (17-23) won the final game of the series against Illinois 13-4 on Sunday afternoon. Penn State used three home runs to top the Illini.
Penn State travels to Purdue for the final weekend of the season to face Purdue and Minnesota for a pod weekend.
How it Happened
A scoreless first inning brought the Nittany Lions to the plate in the second.
Josh Spiegel was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second to put a runner in scoring position. Curtis Robison worked a walk to put a pair of runners on. A fielders choice brought Cole Bartels to the plate with two on and two out. Bartels unloaded on a breaking ball and launched a no doubter over the wall in left to give Penn State a 3-0 lead.
The Illini got one run back in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Kellen Sarver.
Starter Kyle Virbitsky retired the next eight he faced, this included scoreless outings in the third and fourth.
The Nittany Lions gave their starter more run support in the top of the fourth. Johnny Piacentino singled to open the frame. With one out, Robison launched a home run to deep right center to push the lead to 5-1. Gavin Homer singled home Parker Hendershot to push the lead to 6-1.
The Illini would not go quietly as they looked for the series sweep. A three-run homer by the Illini with two outs cut the Penn State lead to 6-4.
Penn State immediately responded with a four-run inning of their own in the top of the sixth.
Robison singled to open the frame. A strikeout brought Bartels to the plate. Bartels and Harry both singled with Harry's single scoring Robison to make it 7-4 Penn State. Homer was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Matt Wood.
Wood singled to right to score Bartels and give Penn State a four-run lead. The big blow of the inning came from Justin Williams who doubled to right to score a pair and push the lead to 10-4.
Scoreless innings from both teams in the seventh and eighth innings brought the Nittany Lions to the plate in the top of the ninth.
Penn State added three insurance runs on Robison's second home run of the game. Williams walked and Spiegel singled to put two on for Robison. Robison lifted a 1-2 hanging breaking ball well over the right centerfield wall for his third, fourth and fifth RBI of the game.
Mason Mellott closed out the game with two scoreless innings in the eighth and again in the ninth to give the Nittany Lions the final game of the series.
NOTES
Kyle Virbitsky wins his fourth game of the season, going seven innings and striking out eight.
Curtis Robison's multi-homer game was the third of the season for Penn State (Josh Spiegel – 3/5 vs. Northwestern, Johnny Piacentino – 3/7 vs. Northwestern).
Mason Mellott made his 67th appearance and moved into seventh place all-time in Penn State history.
Justin Williams two-RBI double in sixth inning was Penn State's 90th double of the season.