UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team got contributions from the entire lineup in a 15-1 win over Binghamton on Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Nittany Lions pitching staff combined to hold the Bearcats scoreless over the final six innings. Penn State improved to 12-5 on the season, while Binghamton dropped to 8-8.
Ben DeMell got his first career start on the mound for the Nittany Lions and made a strong effort for 3.2 innings with only one run allowed. He gave up six hits but recorded two strikeouts and no walks. DeMell worked out of bases loaded jams in the second and third.
Ryan Partridge entered the game in the fourth. He worked 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit, and struck out three. Connor Throneberry followed with two scoreless frames, allowing two hits. Kellan Tulio worked one inning, striking out one, while Anthony Steele finished the game with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.
Dan McAliney started on the mound for Binghamton, going three innings, allowing only one run and one hit. Andrew Fingleton came in for the fourth inning and gave up four runs on three hits through two innings. Aidan Pawlak, threw a scoreless inning before Kyle Eskildsen gave up three runs on four hits. Tanner Sinicki, Alex Henderson, Justin Rosner and Jack Collins combined for the final two innings, giving up six runs (four earned).
Penn State totaled 13 hits. Steele posted two hits, including a three-run homer, a career high-tying four RBI and a steal. Kyle Hannon also homered, while adding two runs, two walks and a steal. Tayven Kelley ripped a three-run triple, while Johnny Piacentino had two knocks, two runs and two RBI. C.J. Pittaro contributed two hits and an RBI after entering as a pinch hitter.
Binghamton tallied 10 hits, but was limited to one run. Kevin Gsell went four-for-four including a double. Cavan Tully singled ans scored a run. Devan Bade had a sac fly.
Binghamton struck first with a run in the third inning. Tully led off the inning with a single. After singles by Mike Guning and Gsell, Bade lifted a fly ball to left for a sac fly to drive in Tully.
Penn State answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Ben Kailher tied the game, scoring on a wild pitch. Kailher hit a line drive double to left field previously in the inning and advanced to third on a groundout before crossing the plate on the wild pitch. The game was even at 1-1 through three.
The Nittany Lions jumped ahead with three runs in the fourth. Piacentino started the inning with a single. Bobby Marsh drew a walk. Two batters later, Steele crushed a fly ball to left that drifted over the wall for a three-run homer. Steele's first homer of the season put Penn State ahead, 4-1.
Kyle Hannon added another run to the board for the Nittany Lions in the fifth inning with a home run to right-center field, extending Penn State's lead to 5-1. It was Hannon's fifth homer of the year.
The Nittany Lions exploded for six runs in the seventh. With runners on first and second, Harry ripped a double to the corner in right to score Kailher from second. A wild pitch allowed Thomas Bramley to score. A ground ball single to left by Piacentino drove in Harry and Hannon, who had reached on a walk. A fly ball to left by Steele resulted in a sac fly as Piacentino scored. Penn State again had runners on first and second when Jake Cooper singled up the middle to score his brother, Tyson, from second. The Nittany Lions built an 11-1 lead.
Penn State added four more runs in the eighth. Derek Cease's single to center was followed by Ty Torti's first career hit, a single to left. Two batters later, Pittaro dropped a single into right-center to plate Cease. Steele drew a walk to load the bases. Kelley quickly unloaded the bases with a triple to the wall in right. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 15-1.
The Nittany Lions open Big Ten play at Michigan on March 24-26. Friday's game is set for a 4 p.m. start, while Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday is set for 1 p.m. All games will be broadcast on B1G+.
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.
Kyle Hannon and Anthony Steele