OMAHA, Neb. – Bryce Molinaro launched a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to lead the Penn State baseball team to a 9-5 win over fourth-seed Michigan on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field. Molinaro's slam came after Michigan took the lead in the top of the eighth with a three-run homer. The Nittany Lions improved to 28-23 overall, while Michigan fell to 31-27.
The eighth-seeded Nittany Lions will meet the winner of Illinois or Michigan in the semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
Penn State won two Big Ten Tournament games for the first time since 2007, which is also the last year the Nittany Lions advanced to the semifinals.
PSU is the first eighth-seed to reach the Big Ten semifinals since Indiana in 2022.
Jaden Henline made the start for the Nittany Lions, tossing seven innings. He allowed two runs on eight hits. Henline notched a career-high nine strikeouts and walked one batter. The senior struck out the side in the first, while adding three strikeouts in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth.
In the second inning, Henline surpassed the 200-career innings mark.
Anthony Steele went two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on one hit and four walks. Matt Morash closed the door with 1.1 scoreless innings, including three strikeouts.
Chase Allen got the start for Michigan, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits. Allen struck out three and walked two.
Ricky Kidd threw three innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on five hits. Brandon Mann got the final two outs of the eighth.
Penn State tallied nine runs on 13 hits. Molinaro's grand slam was among three hits, including a double. J.T. Marr notched two hits, including a double, and three RBI. Adam Cecere collected three hits, including a double and an RBI single. Tayven Kelley had two hits and scored a run.
Marr recorded his 29th multi-hit game of the season and reaching 90 hits on the season. He is third in a season at Penn State, two behind Shawn Fagan (92; 2000) for second. Marr's double was his 17th of the year, tying him with Chris Wright (17; 2001) and Josh Spiegel (17; 2002) for eighth at PSU.
Cecere also contributed multiple spectacular defensive plays. He made a diving catch in the fourth, using full extension to make the grab. In the seventh, with Michigan threatening to tie the game, he picked up a ground ball in right and fired homer to get the runner at the plate. Kelley added a sliding grab earlier in the seventh.
Michigan had five runs on 19 hits. Mitch Voit hit a three-run homer, while Will Rogers went three-for-three, including a two-run shot.
Penn State got on the board in the second. With one out, Matt Maloney drove a double down the line in left. A single by Kelley to left was mishandled to allow Maloney to score. PSU led 1-0.
Michigan took the lead in the fifth. With one out, Cole Caruso lined a double to the left-field corner. Rogers followed by lifting a fly ball over the wall in left. Michigan held a 2-1 lead.
Penn State re-claimed the lead in the bottom half. Kevin Michaels lined a single to center to begin the frame. He advanced to second on a wild pitch before Marr ripped a double into the right-field corner to bring in Michaels. Following a wild pitch to move Marr to third, Cecere delivered a single into right to drive in Marr. Penn State led 3-2.
Michigan plated three runs in the eighth. Stephen Hrustich and Collin Priest drew walks by holding off on 3-2 pitches. Voit launched an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left for a three-run homer. Michigan led 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cecere led off the inning with a single to center. Bobby Marsh followed with a single to right. Grant Norris held off on a 3-1 pitch for a walk to load the bases. Molinaro blasted a 1-0 pitch to left-center for a go-ahead, grand slam. The inning continued as Kelley reached on an infield single. A grounder by Derek Cease resulted in a throwing error to move runners to second and third. Marr smacked a single into center to drive in Kelley and Cease and push Penn State's lead to 9-5.
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The 2024 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
