LEXINGTON, Va. – Josh Spiegel and Anthony Steele homered, but the Penn State baseball team dropped an 11-4 decision at VMI on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions are now 3-8 this season, while VMI improved to 7-5.
Mason Mellott made the start for the Nittany Lions. The senior threw two innings, giving up one unearned run and no hits. Mellott struck out four batters. Tyler Shingledecker entered the game in the third inning, throwing one inning and giving up four runs on five hits with a. strikeout.
Carson Kohls replaced Shingledecker to start the fourth, going one-third of an inning and giving up three runs on a hit. Chad Rogers got the last two outs of the fourth and threw a scoreless fifth inning. Patrick DeMarco took over in the sixth, going one-third of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits. Ryan Partridge pitched the final two outs of the sixth and the first out of the seventh. Blaise Sclafani took over with one out in the seventh, throwing 0.2 scoreless innings. Seneca Gregory pitched the eighth, a scoreless frame, with one strikeout.
Caden Plummer got the start for the Keydets, going three innings. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out four. JT Inskeep took over in the fourth, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits. Adam Jewell finished the fifth. Nathan Light pitched a scoreless sixth before Will Riley entered in the seventh and finished the game, going three innings and giving up one run on one hit and striking out five.
Spiegel and Steele led the Penn State offense. Spiegel collected two hits, including a solo homer in the seventh, and scored two runs, while Steele blasted a solo homer in the fifth. Billy Gerlott had two hits, while Derek Cease had a double and a run.
Will Knight led VMI with two hits and three RBI. Brett Cook contributed a three-run homer. Justin Starke tallied three hits and two runs.
The Keydets got on the board in the second inning. An error and two hit-by-pitches loaded the bases for Jacob Mustain. He hit a fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly to score Knight from third. VMI led 1-0 after two.
Penn State tied the game in the top of the third. With two outs, Cease lined a double to right-center. With Jay Harry batting, two consecutive balks by the VMI pitcher allowed Cease to cross the plate.
VMI plated four runs in the bottom half. After an RBI single by Knight, which scored Trey Morgan, Cook hit a three-run homer to left. VMI held a 5-1 advantage after three.
The Keydets added three runs in the fourth. An RBI single by Zac Morris allowed Jed Barrett to cross the plate. Two batters later, Knight lined a two-run single to right to score Morris and Ty Swaim. VMI led 8-1 through four innings.
Penn State got two runs in the fifth. Steele led off the inning with a homer, sending the first pitch of the at-bat over the fence in right-center. Spiegel followed with a single to left and moved up to second on a ground out. Spiegel moved up to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a grounder by Cole Bartels that shot past the third baseman. Penn State trailed 8-3 after five.
VMI scored three in the sixth. After Morris crossed the plate on a wild pitch, a double to right-center by Cole Garrett drove in two runs. VMI led 11-3 after sixth.
Spiegel crushed a ball over the wall in center in the seventh to cut the deficit to 11-4.
Penn State returns to Cary, N.C. to host UMass for a three-game series on March 11-13. Friday's game will start at 2 p.m, while Saturday is a 1 p.m. start. Sunday's finale is set for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Josh Spiegel