OMAHA, Neb. – Adam Cecere crushed a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the 10th to lead Penn State baseball team to a 7-6 win over Michigan on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals at Chuck Schwab Field. The Nittany Lions improved to 29-23 and will play in Sunday's championship game for the second time in program history.
The Nittany Lions knocked off the fourth-seed Michigan for the second time this week. Penn State opened the Big Ten Tournament Presented By IFS.ai on Wednesday with a 8-4 win over Illinois. PSU earned a 9-5 win over Michigan on Thursday, boosted by Bryce Molinaro's go-ahead grand slam in the eighth.
The eighth-seeded Nittany Lions will meet Nebraska in the championship game on Sunday at 11 a.m. on Big Ten Network.
Penn State reached the Big Ten Tournament Final for the first time since 2000, when it took on Illinois in the championship game, and the second time overall.
The Nittany Lions have won three Big Ten Tournament games for the first time since 2007 but have won three-straight games to open the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in program history.
Penn State is the first eighth seed in Big Ten Tournament to reach the championship game since Iowa in 2016.
With Penn State's 29th win of the season, Mike Gambino now has the most wins of any first-year head coach at Penn State.
Gambino is also the first Big Ten baseball coach to lead his team to a Big Ten Championship Game in year one since Minnesota's John Anderson in 1982.
In the top of the 10th, J.T. Marr led off the inning with a first-pitch single to center. After battling into a 3-2 count, Cecere blasted a fly ball over the wall in right to give the Nittany Lions a two-run lead.
Ben DeMell started the bottom half of the inning with a strikeout and a groundout. However, Mitch Voit blasted a solo homer to left to cut the Michigan deficit to 7-6. Stephen Hrustich lifted a 1-1 pitch to center but it was grabbed by Joe Jaconski to end the game.
Frankie Sanchez got the start for the Nittany Lions, going one inning. He gave up one hit and two walks, but no runs. Matt Morash fired four scoreless frames. He allowed just two hits and struck out three.
Mason Horwat was charged with five runs on four hits and two walks over an inning of work. Will Perkowski got three outs in the seventh, ending the inning with a strikeout. Anthony Steele worked one inning, allowing no runs and striking out two, while walking two. Ben DeMell threw the final two innings, giving up one run and one hit and striking out one to earn the win.
Kurt Barr made the start for Michigan, throwing four innings. He allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits. Barr registered six strikeouts and three walks. Jacob Denner went six innings in relief, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out nine.
Penn State scored seven runs on 11 hits. Cecere collected two hits, including his two-run homer. Joe Jaconski added a solo homer and a stolen base. J.T. Marr recorded two hits and scored twice. Grant Norris went three-for-five and scored a run.
Cecere's homer was his 17th of the season, moving him into a tie for second in a season at Penn State with Dave Simononis (17; 1978) and two behind Ben Heath's program record of 19 in 2010.
Marr collected his 92nd hit of the season, matching Shawn Fagan (92; 2000) for the second-most in a season at PSU. Michael Campo holds the program record with 111 knocks in 2000.
As a team, Penn State surpassed the 70-home run mark and now have 71 on the year. The program record is 91 in 1998.
Michigan had six runs on nine hits. Voit notched three hits, including a homer. Stephen Hrustich added three hits, including a double and a triple, and two runs. Kyle Dernedde doubled and drove in two runs.
Penn State got on the board in the top of the fourth. With one out, Norris lined a single to center. After Bryce Molinaro drew a walk, Matt Maloney ripped a single to right, which bounced past the right fielder to allow Norris and Molinaro to score and Maloney to reach third. Tayven Kelley smacked a line drive to left, which was caught, but allowed Maloney to score on the sac fly. PSU led 3-0.
Michigan tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Hrustich started the inning with a double to left. A pair of groundouts allowed Hrustich to move to third and score. Dylan Stanton was hit by a pitch and Mack Timbrook walked to put runners on first and second. Dernedde doubled to the corner in left to drive in pinch-runner Alfredo Velazquez and Timbrook. The game was even at 3-3.
Michigan took the lead in the seventh. Voit led off the inning with a single to center. Hrustich followed sneaking a line drive inside the left-field line for a triple as Voit hustled home. A wild pitch allowed Hrustich to score. The Wolverines led 5-3 through seven.
The Nittany Lions re-tied the game in the top of the eighth. Jaconski blasted a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right to begin the frame. Marr dropped a single into left before a single by Cecere put runners at first and second. Norris loaded the bases with a single to left. Molinaro roped a single into right as Marr scored to even the game at 5-5.
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The 2024 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Adam Cecere