COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State baseball team dropped a 7-2 decision in its series finale at Maryland on Sunday at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium. The Terrapins are ranked 23rd in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25th in the Baseball America Poll. Penn State took one of three games in the series, winning Saturday's contest, 6-4, in 10 innings and dropping a tight game, 8-4, on Friday.
Penn State is now 10-15 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play. Maryland improved to 22-6 overall and 2-1 in conference.
Tommy Molsky made the start for the Nittany Lions, his seventh of the year. Molsky threw three innings, working into the fourth, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits. Molsky struck out two batters.
Jordan Morales entered with a runner on in the fourth, throwing two innings. He gave up three runs on three hits. Morales tallied three strikeouts and two walks. Chase Renner took over to start the sixth, tossing two shutout innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out one. Ryan Partridge entered the game in the eighth, throwing a scoreless frame and striking out two.
Jason Savacool started on the mound for the Terrapins, going seven innings. Savacool allowed one run on five hits. He recorded 13 strikeouts and just one walk. Andrew Johnson came on in relief in the eighth, throwing two-thirds of an inning, giving up one unearned run. Matt Orlando entered the game with two outs in the eighth and allowed a hit to the only batter he faced. Nigel Belgrave took over for Orlando, finishing the final 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and a walk.
The Nittany Lions scored two runs on seven hits. Cole Bartels hit is first homer of the year in the second inning. Matt Wood had two hits, while CJ Pittaro had a double and a run.
Maryland tallied seven runs on eight hits. Nick Lorusso went two-for-three with a homer and four RBI. Kevin Keister contributed a two-run homer. Luke Shliger had two hits and an RBI, while scoring two runs.
The Terrapins took an early 1-0 lead in the first. Shliger was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. He moved up to second on a groundout and got to third after an error on a pickoff attempt. A sac fly from Lorusso to center brought home Shliger.
The Nittany Lions quickly tied the game as Bartels led off the second inning with an opposite field homer to right.
Maryland re-claimed the lead in the bottom half of the second on a two-run homer to right by Keister. A two-out double by Zach Martin precluded the homer by Keister. Maryland led 3-1 after two innings.
The Terrapins added four runs in the fourth with one on an RBI single by Shliger and three on a homer to right by Lorusso. Maryland held a 7-1 lead after four.
Penn State scored a run in the eighth. Pittaro led off the inning with a double to the gap in left-center. The sophomore moved up to third on a passed ball and crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Ben Kailher. Penn State cut the deficit to 7-2.
The Nittany Lions host Bucknell on Wednesday, April 6 for a mid-week, non-conference matchup. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Penn State continues Big Ten play next weekend at Northwestern. The series begins on Friday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. Saturday's contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. and Sunday's game is set for 2 p.m.
The 2022 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Cole Bartels