CARY, N.C. – The Penn State baseball team split its doubleheader against Brown on Saturday. The Nittany Lions earned a 6-4 win in 12 innings on a walk-off homer by Jay Harry in game one. Penn State fell, 4-3, in game two as its comeback fell short. The Nittany Lions are 9-5 on the season and won the series, 2-1, against the Bears.
The Sunday game between the teams has been canceled due to anticipated rain.
The Nittany Lions won the first game on a walk-off two-run homer by Harry, who hit two homers in the contest. Thomas Bramley, Kyle Hannon and Bobby Marsh added solo homers, while Jaden Henline threw six shutout innings in relief. Penn State hit five homers in a game for the first time since crushing six homers at Ohio State on May 13, 2022. Harry hit Penn State's first walk-off homer since Curtis Robison against Wagner on February 23, 2020.
In game two, Tyson Cooper drove in three runs, including a two-run triple, and Ben DeMell and Ryan Partridge combined to throw 6.1 scoreless innings in relief.
The Nittany Lions host Navy for its home opener on Wednesday, March 15 at 5 p.m. Penn State welcomes Georgetown for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 17.
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
Travis Luensmann got the start for the Nittany Lions, throwing 4.1 innings. Luensmann allowed three runs on four hits and four walks. The junior struck out eight batters, tying his career high. Luensmann struck out three batters in each of the first two innings.
Jacob Coffin took over with one out in the fifth and completed 1.2 frames. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out one. Jaden Henline entered the game to begin the seventh and fired six clutch innings, allowing no runs and only four hits. He struck out four batters, including two key strikeouts to leave the bases loaded in the 12th. Henline earned his second win of the year.
Santhosh Gottam made the start for Brown. The sophomore worked 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. Gottam recorded six strikeouts and two walks. Jack Seppings finished the seventh and went 3.2 scoreless innings. Seppings allowed one hit and struck out five. Jacob Young entered the game in the 11th and threw 1.1 frames, giving up two runs on two hits.
The Nittany Lions tallied 11 hits, including five homers. Jay Harry led the way with two homers and three RBI. It was Harry's second career multi-homer game. Thomas Bramley, Kyle Hannon and Bobby Marsh each launched a solo homer. Bramley added a single and a steal, while Hannon contributed three total hits and a stolen base. Ben Kailher had two hits and scored a run.
Penn State hit five homers in a game for the first time since crushing six homers at Ohio State on May 13, 2022. Harry hit Penn State's first walk-off homer since Curtis Robison against Wagner on February 23, 2020.
Brown collected 11 hits. Ryan Marra had three hits, including a two-run homer. Jacob Burley recorded two hits and scored a run.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first. The leadoff batter, Bramley, blasted an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right, sneaking it inside the foul pole, for a solo homer. His second dinger of the season put the Nittany Lions in front.
Brown tied the game in the top of the second. Burley reached on a leadoff single through the middle. After Jared Johnson drew a one-out walk, Mika Petersen dropped a bunt down the third base line for a single. With the bases loaded, Derian Morphew hit a ground ball deep in the hole at second for an infield single as Burley scored from third.
The Bears added a run in the third. Brown got runners on first and second on walks drawn by Gunner Boree and Burley. A wild pitch bounced under the backstop, allowing Boree to score from second. Brown held a 2-1 lead.
The Nittany Lions answered in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Harry lifted an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right for a solo homer. Harry's second homer of the season tied the game at 2-2.
Penn State took the lead in the fourth on its third homer of the day. With two outs, Marsh launched the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard in right for a solo shot. His second homer of the year put Penn State ahead, 3-2.
However, Brown re-took the lead in the fifth. Reece Rappoli started the inning with a single. Two batters later, Marra hit a fly ball to right that snuck inside the foul pole for a two-run homer. The Bears led 4-3.
Penn State tied the game in the sixth. Leading off the inning, Hannon crushed a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right. His third homer of the season evened the game at 4-4.
The Nittany Lions threatened to score in the 10th. Bramley worked a walk to start the inning. Harry crushed a fly ball to right that was caught at the wall to keep Bramley at first. Bramley stole second before moving up to third on an infield single by Hannon, which deflected off the pitcher. Hannon moved up to second on a steal. A ground ball by Johnny Piacentino was picked up by the shortstop, who threw to first to get the out and end the inning.
Brown loaded the bases in the 12th. Marra led off the inning with a single to center. Burley followed with a single to left. A sac bunt by Nathan Brasher moved the runners to second and third. Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. However, Henline struck out Charles Crawford looking and got Ray Sass swinging to leave the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the 12th, Kailher led off the inning with a line-drive single to center. With one out, Harry crushed a 2-2 pitch for his second homer of the day and the walk-off victory.
Game Two
Tommy Molsky started on the bump for the Nittany Lions. He threw 2.1 frames, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits. Molsky struck out two batters and walked two.
Ben DeMell finished the third inning and worked four key shutout frames. He allowed just three hits and four walks, while striking out three batters. Ryan Partridge entered with two outs in the seventh and fired 2.1 scoreless innings. Partridge allowed just one hit and struck out five batters.
Bobby Olsen made the start for Brown, going five innings. He gave up one run on three hits. Olsen recorded four strikeouts and two walks. Dylan Reid threw two innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits. Peter Dubie pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs or hits and striking out two.
Penn State tallied six hits. Tyson Cooper collected two hits, including a two-run triple, and three RBI. Johnny Piacentino added two hits and a run. Bobby Marsh and Anthony Steele each contributed a hit and a run.
Brown recorded 10 hits. Ryan Marra registered two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Nathan Brasher had three hits, including an RBI double, and scored a run. Jacob Burley tallied two hits and a run.
The Bears plated four runs in the third. After walks by Reece Rappoli and Gunner Boree, Marra dropped a double into left to score both runners. Burley followed with a single to center, but Marra was thrown out at the plate, while Burley moved up to second on the throw. A double to right by Brasher drove in Burley. After a single by Jared Johnson placed runners on first and third, a ground play by Mika Petersen was misplayed to allow Brasher to score from third. Brown led 4-0 through three innings.
Penn State got a run back in the fifth. Steele led off the inning with a single to left. Steele stole second before scoring on a single through the left side by Cooper. The Nittany Lions trailed 4-1 through five frames.
The Nittany Lions got two runs in the seventh. Piacentino led off the inning with a single to left. Marsh followed with a single to right. Three batters later, Cooper lined a 3-1 pitch to right field, which skipped over the right fielder and to the wall for a triple. Piacentino and Marsh scored to trim Penn State's deficit to 4-3.
Jay Harry