UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team fell 7-4 against No. 20 Maryland on Saturday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. In the team's season finale, Penn State led 4-2 going into the sixth, but the Terrapins tied the game in the sixth and took the lead in the eighth. Penn State finished the 2023 campaign with a 25-25 record. Maryland improved to 37-19.
Penn State's 25 wins included three over teams currently ranked among the D1Baseball Top 20, including a 9-5 win at No. 22 Miami (currently 11th), an 11-6 win over West Virginia (currently sixth) and Friday's 5-3 win over No. 20 Maryland.
The Nittany Lions also finished the season with a 15-6 record at home. The 15 wins were Penn State's most at home since the 2016 season and the .714 win percentage at home is Penn State's best since 2012 (18-4, .818).
Prior to the game, Penn State honored 10 seniors: Thomas Bramley, Carson Ertter, Brenden Franks, Ben Kailher, Steven Miller, Jordan Morales, Ryan Partridge, Johnny Piacentino, Blaise Sclafani and Kellan Tulio.
The game was the program's final under head coach Rob Cooper. In 10 years with Cooper leading the program, Penn State won 198 games. The Nittany Lions produced 12 MLB draftees and 13 players who signed with MLB teams under Cooper.
Morales got the start on Senior Day, going three strong innings. He allowed one run on four hits. Morales struck out three batters and walked one. Morales recorded two strikeouts in the first inning.
Miller tossed 2.1 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and striking out one. Partridge threw 2.1 frames, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. Anthony Steele fired 1.1 scoreless frames and struck out two.
Ryan Van Buren started for the Terrapins, pitching 3.2 frames. He allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits. He struck out three batters and walked two. Andrew Johnson threw 2.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits, and striking out one. Logan Ott faced one batter, allowing a hit. Kenny Lippman threw a scoreless inning and recorded one strikeout. Dave Falco closed out the game with two scoreless innings.
Penn State tallied nine hits. CJ Pittaro led the offense with two knocks, including his first career triple, and two RBI. Kyle Hannon had two hits, a run and a stolen base. Thomas Bramley recorded a hit, a run and a walk, while Jay Harry had a hit and two runs.
With his 27th steal of the season, Hannon tied the Penn State season record, set by Michael Campo in 2000.
With 41 walks on the year, Bramley finished third in a season at Penn State, behind only Eric Spadt (47, 2000) and Shawn Fagan (46, 1999).
Pittaro's triple was Penn State's 18th of the season, falling one shy of the program season mark of 19 in 2022.
Maryland posted 13 hits. Elijah Lambros recorded two hits, including a two-run homer, while Matt Woods added a solo shot. Luke Shliger had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs. Jacob Orr tripled among his three hits and scored a run. Nick Lorusso added a hit and two RBI.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the second. Harry started the inning with an infield single. He stole second and moved up to third on a throwing error. Pittaro followed by lining a triple to the nook in left-center to bring home Harry. Penn State led 1-0.
Maryland tied the game in the third. Shliger held off on a 3-2 pitch to work a walk. Matt Shaw reached on an infield single to put runners on first and second. A fly out to right by Lorusso moved the runners to second and third. Ian Petrutz lifted a fly ball to right for a sac fly as Shliger crossed the plate. The game was even at 1-1.
The Terrapins took the lead in the fourth on a leadoff solo homer to right by Woods. Maryland held a 2-1 lead.
Penn State re-took the lead in the bottom half. Harry led off the inning with a walk. Hannon followed with a single to right as Harry hustled to third. Two batters later, Pittaro hit a line drive off the pitcher's leg to reach on an infield single and score Harry. Bramley grounded into a fielder's choice as Hannon moved to third. Johnny Piacentino ripped a ground ball down the left field line, which was misplayed as Hannon scored. An errant throw on the play allowed Bramley to score. Penn State led 4-2 through four.
Maryland tied the game in the top of the sixth. With one out, Woods was hit by a pitch. Lambros blasted a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for a two-run homer. The game was tied at 4-4.
The Terrapins re-took the lead in the eighth. With two outs, Orr lined a triple off the wall in left. Kevin Keister grounded a single through the middle to plate Orr. Shliger followed with a double to right to place runners on second and third. Shaw worked a walk to load the bases. Lorusso dropped a single into center to bring home Keister and Shliger. Maryland led 7-4.
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The 2023 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
