Dominant Pitching Leads Baseball To Doubleheader Sweep Over NIU

CARY, N.C. – The Penn State baseball team got dominant efforts from its pitching staff on Friday to earn a doubleheader sweep over Northern Illinois on Friday. The Nittany Lions earned a 7-3 win in the first game of the day and followed with a 5-1 win in the nightcap. Penn State improved to 3-2 on the season, while NIU dropped to 0-6.
 
In game one, Travis Luensmann made the start, giving up just one run and four hits in five innings. Billy Gerlott led the offense with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBI.
 
In game two, Daniel Ouderkirk struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Steven Miller added four strikeouts. Kyle Hannon had three hits and scored two runs, while Grant Norris drove in three runs, including two on a two-run homer.
 
Ouderkirk's 11 strikeouts are the most by a Penn State pitcher since Kyle Virbitsky's 12 against Minnesota on May 29, 2021.
 
Penn State earned its fourth game with 15+ strikeouts in the last two seasons, joining 15 vs. UMass on March 12, 2022, 15 vs. Bucknell on April 6, 2022 and 15 vs. Iowa on May 26, 2022.
 
The Nittany Lions take on Maine on Saturday and conclude the weekend on Sunday against Monmouth at 10 a.m. All games are available on livestream on USABaseball.TV.
 
Season and single game tickets for the 2023 Penn State baseball season are available here. Season tickets are $75 for adults and free for youth (ages 12 and under).
 
The 2023 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline
 
Game One – PSU 7, NIU 3
Travis Luensmann got the start on the mound for the Nittany Lions. The junior fired five innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked four batters. Luensmann has given up just one run in each of his first two starts this season.
 
Jordan Morales took over on the mound in the sixth and earned the save, throwing four innings. Morales gave up two runs on five hits and struck out one.
 
Dominic Hann started on the mound for Northern Illinois. He threw five innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks. Jacob Draeger pitched the final three frames, giving up two runs on four hits.
 
Penn State tallied seven runs on 10 hits. Billy Gerlott led the way with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBI. Thomas Bramley collected two hits, two runs and an RBI. Jay Harry had a double and scored twice, while Grant Norris and Anthony Steele each drove in a run.
 
Northern Illinois notched nine hits. Colin Summerhill had two hits, including a double, and two RBI. Mason Kelley contributed two hits and an RBI.
 
Penn State got on the board in the first. Bramley drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a single to left by Josh Spiegel. Gerlott chopped a ground ball to the shortstop to allow Bramley to score and give PSU a 1-0 lead.
 
The Nittany Lions added three runs in the second. Norris led off the inning with a single to left. After Harry was hit by a pitch, Bramley lined a single to center to drive in Norris. Two batters later, Gerlott drove a double to right to plate Bramley and Harry. Penn State led 4-0 through two innings.
 
Northern Illinois got a run back in the fourth. With two outs, Kelley lined a single to left to bring home Summerhill. However, a runner was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning.
 
The Nittany Lions answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Harry started the inning with a double to right and Bramley was hit by a pitch. A throwing error on a ball hit by Kyle Hannon allowed Harry to score from second and extend Penn State's lead to 5-1.
 
Penn State added two runs in the seventh. Gerlott notched his second double of the afternoon, this time to left, to lead off the inning. After Piacentino drew a walk, Anthony Steele roped a single to center to drive in Gerlott. Two batters later, Norris lifted a fly ball to left, which was caught but allowed Piacentino to score on a sac fly. The Nittany Lions pushed their lead to 7-1.
 
Northern Illinois cut its deficit in the eighth. With one out, Kaden Kosobucki singled to left-center and Parker Shupe singled to left to put two runners on. A double by Summerhill to right plated both runners to trim Penn State's lead to 7-3.
 
Game Two
 
Daniel Ouderkirk got the start for the Nittany Lions and was dominant on the mound. Ouderkirk threw seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He walked one batter, while striking out a career-high 11 batters. He struck out multiple batters in the first, second, third and sixth innings and had at least one strikeout in each of his seven innings.
 
Ouderkirk is the first Nittany Lion pitcher with 10+ strikeouts in a game since Kyle Virbitsky struck out 12 against Minnesota on May 29, 2021.
 
Steven Miller took over in the eighth, firing two shutout innings to earn the save. He allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out four.
 
Northern Illinois gave the ball to Jacob Wilde to start the game. Wilde gave up three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings of work. He struck out five and walked two. Nick Bonk threw the final 2.2 frames, allowing two runs on three hits.
 
Penn State scored five runs on 10 hits. Kyle Hannon paced PSU with three hits, added two runs, an RBI and three steals. Grant Norris had two hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBI. Tayven Kelley tallied two hits, while Anthony Steele and Johnny Piacentino each had a hit and scored a run with Piacentino recording a double.
 
The Huskies recorded four hits, including two each by Andre Demetral and Malik Peters. Demetral had a triple and scored a run, while Peters had an RBI.
 
NIU took the lead in the top of the third. With one out, Demetral roped a triple to right-center. Peters followed with a single to left to drive home Demetral and give the Huskies a 1-0 advantage.
 
Penn State tied the game in the fifth. With two outs, Steele and Jay Harry drew back-to-back walks. Thomas Bramley followed with a single to right to drive in Steele and even the game at 1-1.
 
The Nittany Lions took the lead in the sixth. With one out, Piacentino placed a line drive down the line in left for a double. A single up the middle by Hannon allowed Piacentino to race home. After Hannon stole second and third, a hard ground ball to the shortstop by Norris resulted in a hit and allowed Hannon to score. Penn State led 3-1 after six innings.
 
Penn State extended its lead in the eighth. Hannon popped up a bunt that landed behind the pitcher for a single. Hannon then stole second. Two batters later, Norris lifted an 0-1 pitch to left that hit the foul pole for a two-run homer. Norris' blast gave Penn State a 5-1 lead.