UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team came out on top in an offensive duel, 12-7, in game one of a three-game Big Ten series against Purdue on Thursday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The teams combined for 28 hits on the night. Penn State scored eight runs in the third inning to take the lead and maintained control the rest of the way.
Penn State improved to 13-18 overall and 4-6 in Big Ten play, while Purdue dropped to 21-8 and 3-5 in conference action.
Sophomore right hander Jaden Henline made his third start on the season, going 2.2 innings with three strikeouts. He gave up four runs off seven hits before being replaced by Steven Miller.
In relief, Miller pitched 2.2 innings with four strikeouts, giving up three runs on five hits and one walk, to earn the win. Tyler Shingledecker closed out the final 3.2 innings of the game in scoreless fashion. The senior struck out six batters and gave up just three hits to collect the save.
For the Boilermakers, CJ Backer started his third game of the season and went two innings with three strikeouts. The right-hander gave up three runs off three hits and a walk. Backer was replaced by Ricky Castro, the first of four relievers. Castro allowed four runs on one hit and three walks while going one-third of an inning.
The Nittany Lions offense combined for 12 runs on 13 hits and four walks, led by Tayven Kelley. Kelley went two-for-four, including a double and triple, while racking up three RBIs. Josh Spiegel launched a two-run homer and drove in three RBI. Cole Bartels, Johnny Piacentino and Matt Wood each had two hits, including a double by Wood.
The eight-run inning by Penn State was it's best this season, topping a seven-run fifth inning against UMass on March 11.
Curtis Washington and Paul Toetz led the Purdue offense. Washington had four hits, two stolen bases, a run and an RBI. Toetz had three hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Evan Albrecht drove in two runs.
Purdue got on the board with four runs in the top of the third. Pablo Lanzarote led off the inning with a triple and scored on a single to center by Washington. After Washington stole second, an error allowed him to mov up to third. Two batters later, Cam Thompson reached on a fielder's choice to score Washington. With two outs, a single by Albrecht plated CJ Valdez and Thompson to give the Boilermakers a 4-0 advantage.
However, the Nittany Lions answered with eight runs in the bottom half of the inning. The blue and white began the inning by loading the bases off singles by Derek Cease and Cole Bartels and a hit-by-pitch by Jay Harry. A wild pitch allowed Cease to cross the plate. A walk drawn by Wood re-loaded the bases. With C.J. Pittaro at the plate, a wild pitch was read perfectly by Harry, who scored from third. Pittaro worked a walk before an infield single by Anthony Steele allowed Wood to score. Spiegel then drew a walk of his own to score Piacentino, who had reached on a fielder's choice. That set up Kelley, who lined a ball to the wall in left to clear the bases for a three-run double. Two batters later, Bartels singled to left to bring home Kelley. Penn State held an 8-4 lead after three.
The Nittany Lions extended their lead with three runs in the fourth. Penn State again loaded the bases as Wood, Piacentino and Pittaro began the inning with singles. Steele grounded into a double play, but that allowed Wood to cross the plate. On the first pitch that he saw, Spiegel blasted a fly ball over the wall in left for a two-run homer to give Penn State an 11-4 lead.
Purdue plated one run in the fifth, on an RBI single by Toeta that scored Valdez, and two in the sixth. Back-to-back singles by Jake Jarvis and Troy Viola to start the sixth, with Viola moving up to second on a throw, put runners on second and third. A wild pitch brought home Jarvis. Mike Bolton, Jr. then drew a walk. With Washington at the plate, Bolton Jr. stole second and the throw down to second on the play allowed Viola to cross the plate. Penn State held an 11-7 lead through six.
Penn State added an insurance run in the eighth. Harry led off the inning with a double to left. A sac bunt by Wood pushed Harry to third. Piacentino then sent a fly ball to the warning track in center for a sac fly to bring home Harry for Penn State's 12th run.
The series continues on Friday at 6 p.m. and finishes on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will be livestreamed on B1G+.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Tayven Kelley