LEXINGTON, Va. – The Penn State baseball team finished off a three-game sweep at Longwood with a 15-7 win on Sunday at VMI’s Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium. Paxton Kling set the tone with a leadoff homer among three hits. Penn State improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Nittany Lions earned their first non-conference road sweep since February 16-18, 2018 at Elon.
Penn State tallied 36 runs in the series, including 11 in game one, 10 in game two and 15 in game three.
The 36 runs are PSU’s most in a three-game series since scoring 39 against Michigan State in 2021.
Penn State notched 10+ runs in three-straight games for the first time since April 7-12, 2024 (Northwestern, 15; FDU, 12; Indiana, 15) and recorded 10+ runs in each game of a three-game series for the first time since May 8-9, 2022 vs. Michigan State.
Skip Shenosky made his first start at Penn State, tossing four innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. Shenosky posted three strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
Dimond Loosli worked one inning, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits. Anthony Steele fired two scoreless innings and struck out two. Matthew VanOstenbridge went one inning, giving up one run, before Ben DeMell pitched the ninth and struck out one.
Kyle Miller got the start for Longwood, going four innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four batters. Sam Dilella threw 1.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) with two strikeouts and two walks. Caleb Grizzard went 1.1 frames, allowing two runs on two hits. Ried Dittner worked one inning, surrendering three runs (two earned). Justin Gunter went one-third of an inning. Joe Castrichini and Dallas Hairfield combined to pitch the ninth, giving up four runs.
Penn State collected 15 runs on 14 hits. Paxton Kling notched three hits, including a homer to leadoff the game, three runs and two steals. Bryce Molinaro had a double and triple, while driving in three runs. Cole Wagner added three hits, including a double and an RBI single. Cohl Mercado contributed two hits, including an RBI double, three runs and a steal. Ryan Weingartner stole two bases and scored three runs.
Longwood notched seven runs on 12 hits. Tre Keels collected three hits, including two doubles, and two RBI. Myles Webb had two hits, with a double, and a run. James Nelson added two hits and an RBI.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the top of the first. Kling launched a leadoff homer to left-center. His fourth homer of the weekend went 416 feet and gave PSU a 1-0 lead.
Longwood answered with a run in the bottom half of the first. Keels led off the inning with a double down the left-field line. After Mikey Urbanik was hit by a pitch, Jae’dan Carter bounced into a fielder’s choice, allowing Keels to score and even the game at 1-1.
The Lancers added two runs in the second. Mac Tufts reached on an infield single to start the frame. On a hit-and-run play, Jayson Nash singled through the right side as Tufts went to third. Logan Janney was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bentley Yeatts bounced into a doubleplay, but allowed Tufts to score. Keels followed with a bloop single to right to bring in Nash. Longwood led 3-1.
PSU responded with a run in the third. Jesse Jaconski beat out an infield single to the third baseman. Mercado followed with a sharp grounder down the right field line and into the corner for a double as Jaconski hustled home. PSU trailed 3-2.
The Nittany Lions took the lead in the fifth. Mercado began the inning with a single to left and moved up to second on a wild pitch. A single by Kling put runners on the corners. After Kling stole second, Joe Jaconski chopped a grounder on the right side to allow Mercado to score. Two batters later, Wagner lined a single to right to plate Kling. Penn State led 4-3.
Longwood re-took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Webb lined a single to center. A single by Carter put runners on the corners. A passed ball allowed Webb to score. Nelson lined a single to center to bring in Carter and give the Lancers a 5-4 lead.
Penn State plated three runs in the sixth. Mercado worked a one-out walk before a single by Kling. After a double steal put runners on second and third, a grounder to the left side by Weingartner resulted in a fielder’s choice as Mercado beat the throw home. Weingartner stole second before Joe Jaconski drove in Kling with a sac fly. Molinaro tripled into the right field corner to allow Weingartner to score. PSU led 7-5.
The Nittany Lions added to their lead in the eighth. Weingartner worked a leadoff walk and stole second before Molinaro was hit by a pitch. A groundout moved the runners up a base before Jack Porter dropped a single into center to bring in two runs. A passed ball allowed pinch-runner Joey DeMucci to advance to second. A fly ball to center by Matt Maloney was misplayed to allow DeMucci to score. Derek Cease reached on an infield single with a throwing error on the play resulting in Maloney crossing the plate. Penn State held an 11-5 lead.
Longwood got a run in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Janney singled to center. A single by Yeatts put two runners on. Keels sent a double down the left field line to bring home Janney and cut the Lancers’ deficit to 11-6.
Penn State responded in the ninth. Mercado started the inning with a walk before Weingartner was hit by a pitch. An error on a pickoff play moved the runners to second and third. Joe Jaconski dropped a single into right to plate Mercado and Molinaro followed with a double down the line in left to score Weingartner and Jaconski. A sac fly to center by Maloney drove in Molinaro. PSU led 15-6.
Longwood scored a run in the bottom of the ninth as a grounder by Tufts was misplayed to allow pinch-runner Jacob Moore to score.
The Nittany Lions return to the state of Virginia for three games next weekend, beginning on Friday against Richmond at 1:30 p.m. Penn State takes on VCU on Saturday at 2 p.m. and William & Mary on Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The 2025 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.