WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Penn State baseball team (18-24) split a doubleheader on the final day of the 2021 season Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions fell 7-4 before responding with a 7-3 victory.
How it Happened
Game 1
The Nittany Lions and Boilermakers began game one on Thursday, May 27 before rain postponed the game in the bottom of the third inning.
Penn State took the early advantage with a RBI double by Josh Spiegel in the first inning to score Justin Williams to put the Nittany Lions up 1-0. Purdue tied the game in the bottom of the first with an RBI single.
Matt Wood scored Cole Bartels with a sac fly in the second inning to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead.
Starter Bailey Dees worked a scoreless bottom of the second and Penn State went quietly in the top of the third. The game was delayed until Saturday's restart due to lighting on Thursday evening and weather again on Friday.
The Nittany Lions and Boilermakers picked up the game in the bottom of the third almost two days later with Larkin taking the hill.
Larkin retired the Boilermakers in the bottom of the third, working around two bases runners to keep Penn State out front.
In the bottom of the fourth, Purdue scored three runs on four hits to take a 4-2 lead over the Nittany Lions.
Purdue extended its lead with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend the advantage to 7-2.
Penn State responded in the top of the eighth. Justin Williams singled to open the frame and Johnny Piacentino launched his team-leading eighth homer of the season to cut the lead to 7-4.
The Nittany Lions could bring the lead no closer, falling 7-4 to the Boilermakers.
Game 2
Minnesota plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back hits by the Gophers scored one run to grab a 1-0 lead.
Penn State tied the game in the top of the third. Homer worked a four-pitch walk and stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher.
Matt Wood lifted a sac fly to right center to score Homer and tie the game at 1-1.
Minnesota retook the lead with one run in the bottom of the third.
Penn State put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fourth. Freshman shortstop Jay Harry narrowly missed a three-run homer as he lifted a deep flyball to the wall in right center that was tracked down by the Gopher right fielder.
The fly ball out allowed for Curtis Robison to score and tie the game at 2-2.
Following the two runs by the Gophers in the second and third, Kyle Virbitsky was lights out. Virbitsky struck out a career-best 12 hitters and scattered five hits in his seven innings of work.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Piacentino laced a double to left center to extend the inning. Spiegel followed with a walk and Robison singled through the left side to score Piacentino.
Parker Hendershot followed with another single to put Penn State up 4-2.
The Nittany Lions scored two more in the top of the sixth. Homer and Wood both singled to open the frame. Justin Williams doubled home Homer to put Penn State on top 5-2. A sac fly by Spiegel scored Wood to give the Nittany Lions a four-run advantage.
The Nittany Lions added another run in the top of the seventh to hold a 7-2 lead.
Virbitsky struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to complete his start and wrapped his career-best 12 strikeout performance.
Minnesota scored one in the bottom of the eighth to trim the lead to 7-3.
Steven Miller closed out the game and the season with a 7-3 win for the Nittany Lions.