CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Penn State baseball team fell 15-5 against No. 14 North Carolina on Wednesday at Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium. The Nittany Lions held a 3-2 lead until the Tar Heels struck for seven runs in the fourth. Penn State is now 7-4 on the season, while UNC moved to 11-3.
Steven Miller earned his first start of the year for the Nittany Lions. Miller pitched 3.1 innings and was responsible for eight runs on eight hits. He struck out four batters and walked two. Jaden Henline entered the game in the fourth and tallied 1.2 innings. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one. Ben DeMell worked one inning, giving up three runs on three hits. Connor Throneberry took the mound to begin the seventh and delivered a scoreless inning, posting a strikeout. Blaise Sclafani pitched the eighth, allowing two runs and two walks, while striking out one.
Will Sandy started for the Tar Heels, going 1.2 innings. He allowed three runs on three hits while striking out two batters and walking one. Matt Poston also threw 1.2 frames, not giving up a run or a hit. Nelson Berkwich finished the fourth, totaling 1.2 innings. He allowed one run on one hit. Dalton Pence entered to begin the sixth and worked 1.1 frames, giving up one run (unearned) on two hits. Matthew Matthijs threw 1.2 scoreless innings and Will Simmons finished the game with a shutout inning.
Penn State tallied eight hits. Billy Gerlott registered two hits, including a solo homer and an RBI single. Jay Harry collected three hits, including a double, and a run. Thomas Bramley had an RBI single and scored a run, while Kyle Hannon had a double and a run.
With his three hits, Harry extended his reached-base streak to 27 games, dating back to the 2022 season. Bramley improved his reached-base streak to 14 games.
North Carolina collected 14 hits. Tomas Frick led the offense with three hits, including two homers, six RBI and three runs. Hunter Stokely recorded three hits, including a double and a homer, three RBI and two runs. Alberto Osuna contributed three hits, including a double, and three runs.
The Tar Heels took the lead in the first. With two outs, Jackson Van De Brake hit a soft line drive just beyond the pitchers mound and beat the throw for a single. Frick followed with a two-run homer to left on the first pitch he saw. North Carolina led 2-0 through the first inning.
Penn State answered with three runs in the second. Tayven Kelley led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Harry landed a fly ball in left-center for a single. A line drive to right by Bramley resulted in an RBI single as Kelley touched home. The bases were loaded by a walk drawn by Ben Kailher. Two batters later, Bobby Marsh lifted a fly ball to center for a sac fly as Harry crossed the plate. A wild pitch allowed Bramley to score and give Penn State a 3-2 lead.
North Carolina re-gained the lead in the fourth. Osuna started the inning with a double to left. A single by Stokely put runners on the corners for Casey Cook, who singled to right to drive in Osuna. A single to left by Alvarez plated Stokely. Two batters later, Vance Honeycutt ripped a double to left to score Cook. After Mac Horvath was hit by a pitch to load the bases, a ground ball to Anthony Steele resulted in a fielder's choice to prevent the run from scoring. However, Frick followed with a fly ball over the wall in left for a grand slam. UNC held a 9-3 lead.
The Nittany Lions got a run back in the fifth. With two outs, Gerlott blasted the first pitch he saw over the wall in left for his first homer of the year. Penn State trimmed its deficit to 9-4.
The Tar Heels added a run in the fifth. A single by Alvarez and walks by Colby Wilkerson and Honeycutt loaded the bases. Horvath lifted a fly ball to center field for a sac fly to score Alvarez from third. UNC extended its lead to 10-4.
North Carolina plated three runs in the sixth. After singles by Frick and Osuna, Stokely launched a homer to right to extend UNC's lead to 13-4.
Penn State scored a run in the seventh. With one out, Hannon hit a fly ball to right-center that hit off the top of the ball and bounced back in for a double. After Hannon moved up to third on a passed ball, Gerlott lined a single to center to drive in Hannon. PSU cut its deficit to 13-5.
UNC added two runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Reece Holbrook hit a ground ball for a fielder's choice as Osuna scored from third. Wilkerson then sent a ground ball to first, also for a fielder's choice, to score Johnny Castagnozzi. The Tar Heels extended their lead to 15-5.
The Nittany Lions take on Brown in a four-game series, beginning on Friday, March 10, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. All games are available through livestreaming 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.
Billy Gerlott