UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Indiana to close out a hard-fought series on Sunday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Nittany Lions fell 4-1 in a tight game one. In game two, Penn State rallied from multiple deficits, but Indiana exploded for eight runs in the ninth as PSU fell 22-11. Penn State is now 14-10 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten play, while Indiana improved to 20-8 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
In game one, Steven Miller threw 7.1 shutout innings in relief to keep the Nittany Lions within striking distance. Johnny Piacentino recorded a triple and a run.
In game two, Josh Spiegel tallied four hits and four RBI, while Thomas Bramley and Kyle Hannon both homered.
Penn State continues its home stand against Bucknell on Tuesday, April 4. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. with a broadcast on B1G+. Every Tuesday home game is Dollar Dog Night ($1 hot dogs).
The Nittany Lions host Delaware State next weekend, beginning on Thursday, April 6.
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
Daniel Ouderkirk made the start for the Nittany Lions, going 1.2 frames, allowing four runs on one hit and four walks, while striking out one.
Steven Miller worked a phenomenal performance in relief, throwing a career-high 7.1 innings. He did not allow a run, while giving up just four hits and a walk. He also recorded a career high with seven strikeouts. Miller notched multiple strikeouts in the fifth and eighth innings.
Seti Manase started for Indiana, pitching 3.2 innings. He allowed one run on three hits. He struck out four batters and walked one. Ryan Kraft earned the win in relief, throwing 5.1 scoreless frames. He gave up one hit and struck out one.
Penn State tallied one run on four hits. Johnny Piacentino recorded a triple and scored a run, while Grant Norris had an RBI double.
Indiana had four runs on five hits. Brock Tibbitts drove in two runs.
The Hoosiers jumped out to an early lead in the first. With one out, Bobby Whalen sent a single up the middle. After a walk by Devin Taylor and Tibbitts was hit by a pitch, Matthew Ellis lifted a fly ball to left which resulted in Whalen scoring. Indiana held a 1-0 lead.
Indiana plated three runs in the second. Josh Pyne and Hunter Jessee worked walks to begin the inning. Following a sac bunt by Peter Serruto, leadoff man Phillip Glasser reached on a fielder's choice as Pyne scored. The bases were loaded after Whalen was hit by a pitch and Taylor walked. Tibbitts followed with a single through the middle to score Glasser and Whalen. Indiana extended its lead to 4-0.
Penn State cut its deficit with a run in the fourth. With one out, Piacentino hit a fly ball to the notch in left-center and hustled to third for a triple. Norris then blasted a ball off the wall in right for a double to drive in Piacentino. However, the inning ended with a pop out and a ground out to keep the Nittany Lions trailing 4-1.
In the eighth, Kyle Hannon lined a double off the wall in right with two outs. However, a fly out to left ended the inning.
Game Two
Jordan Morales started for the Nittany Lions. He went 3.2 innings, giving up six runs on six hits. Morales struck out three batters and walked four.
Connor Throneberry pitched one-third of an inning and was responsible for three runs on two hits, before Ryan Partridge threw an inning, giving up two runs (both unearned). Tommy Molsky threw three innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and striking out two. Ben DeMell allowed five runs on three hits before Carson Kohls finished the game, giving up two unearned runs.
Indiana started sophomore Luke Hayden, who went two innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Hayden recorded one strikeout and one walk. Gabe Levy came on in relief, giving up four runs on four hits without recording an out. Craig Yoho earned the winning, throwing three shutout frames and striking out three. Nathan Ball allowed five runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. Ethan Phillips allowed both batters he faced to reach base before Wes Burton closed out the final 2.1 innings, giving up no runs and striking out five.
The Nittany Lions collected 11 runs on 14 hits. Eight batters recorded at least one hit, while four had multiple hits. Josh Spiegel went four-for-five with a double and four RBI, while scoring a run. Kyle Hannon hit a two-run homer, while Thomas Bramley had two hits, including a homer, and two RBI. Bobby Marsh and Tayven Kelley each had two hits, an RBI and two runs, with Marsh recording two doubles.
Indiana registered 22 runs on 18 hits. Josh Pyne recorded four hits, three runs and three RBI. Devin Taylor had two hits, including a double and a homer, three runs and four RBI. Tyler Cerny added two hits, including a homer, four RBI and three runs. Phillip Glasser had a solo homer.
After a scoreless first inning, Indiana struck for runs in the second and third innings. In the second, Cerny laced a two-out single up the middle to drive in Brock Tibbitts. In the third, the Hoosiers loaded the bases. Pyne hit a single to center to drive in Bobby Whalen and Taylor before Carter Mathison lined a base knock to center to score Tibbitts. Indiana held a 4-0 lead.
Penn State took the lead with six runs in the third. After a single up the middle by Kelley, Hannon deposited a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for his sixth homer of the year. Bramley made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot to right-center, his third of the season. Jay Harry and Johnny Piacentino reached on singles before Marsh lined a double off the wall in right to plate Harry. Three batters later, Spiegel sent a grounder through the middle to score Marsh and Piacentino. The Nittany Lions led 6-4 through three innings.
Indiana responded with two runs in the fourth. With one out, Whalen doubled to right to bring home Hunter Jessee. Taylor followed with a groundout to first, which allowed Peter Serrutto to score. Indiana tied the game at 6-6.
The Hoosiers re-gained the lead in the fifth. Cerny sent a fly ball over the wall in left for a three-run homer. Later in the inning, Taylor doubled to center to bring home Glasser and Whalen.
Indiana added two runs in the sixth. With runners on first and second, and one out, Jessee singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Pyne. The grounder was bobbled to allow Cerny to score from first. Indiana led 13-6 through six innings.
The Hoosiers extended their lead to 14-6 on a solo homer by Taylor to begin the seventh.
However, Penn State rallied for five runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Marsh hit another double, this time to left. Norris was then hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Spiegel hit a fly ball to the nook in left-center for a double as Marsh and Norris scored. Kelley shot a grounder through the left side to bring home Spiegel while Kelley moved up to second on the throw home. A wild pitch and a walk put runners on the corners for Bramley, who dropped a single into right to plate Kelley. Another wild pitch allowed pinch-runner Derek Cease to score.
The inning continued as an error allowed Harry to reach and Tyson Cooper was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, a strikeout ended the inning and the threat. Penn State trailed 14-11.
After a scoreless eighth, Indiana broke out for eight runs in the ninth. Glasser led off the inning by sneaking a fly ball just inside the right field foul pole for a solo homer. Whalen drew a walk and Taylor was hit by a pitch before Tibbitts singled to right to drive in Whalen. Pyne followed with his own single to right to score Taylor. A single up the middle by Mathison drove in Tibbitts. Cerny was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Two batters later, Serruto singled to center to score Pyne and Mathison before a throwing effort allowed Cerny to score. A fielding error resulted in the game's final run as Serruto scored. Indiana extended its lead to 22-11.
Steven Miller