EVANSTON, Ill. – The Penn State baseball team split its doubleheader at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park. The Nittany Lions took the first game, 10-7, but fell 13-5 in game two. With its win in game one, Penn State won the series against the Wildcats. Penn State is 14-4 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Northwestern moved to 8-10 overall and 1-2 in conference action with its win in game two.
In game one, Paxton Kling had a double and a solo homer among three hits, while Jesse Jaconski drove in three runs with a homer and a two-run single. Jack Porter added two hits, including a two-run homer. Mason Butash and Ben DeMell combined for six scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
In game two, the Nittany Lions rallied for five runs in the sixth, boosted by a two-run homer by Bryce Molinaro and a solo blast by Porter. However, Northwestern answered with two runs in the sixth and eight in the seventh.
Porter homered in each of the three games in the series, while tallying seven hits.
With its win in game one, Penn State started a season with a 14-3 record for the first time since 1979. PSU started 4-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2014.
In game one, Penn State tallied 10+ runs for the 12th time this season and the fourth time in six Big Ten games.
The Nittany Lions host two non-conference matchups this week at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Penn State hosts St. Bonaventure on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch on Dollar Dog Night. PSU welcomes Lafayette on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. start.
Penn State hosts Michigan State in a Big Ten series on March 21-23.
All home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park are free admission for all ages.
The 2025 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Game 1
Sophomore Matt Morash got the start for the Nittany Lions, going two innings. He allowed five runs on four hits with one strikeout and five walks. Mason Butash tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and one walk, while striking out two to settle the game down.
Ben DeMell followed with three shutout innings. He allowed two hits and struck out three. Dimond Loosli pitched the ninth inning, giving up two runs and striking out two.
Freshman Matthew Kouser got the start for Northwestern, throwing 4.2 innings. He gave up five runs on six hits. Kouser recorded two strikeouts and four walks. Alex Grant gave up four runs on two hits and two walks over an inning of work. Jack Grunkemeyer threw 3.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out four.
Penn State collected 10 runs on 12 hits. Paxton Kling tallied three hits, including a double and a solo homer. Jesse Jaconski had two hits, including a homer and a two-run single, while Jack Porter launched a two-run homer among two hits. Bryce Molinaro added two hits and two RBI.
Northwestern had seven runs on 10 hits. Trent Liolios had a double and a homer, totaling three RBI. Bennett Markinson and Jack Lausch each drove in two runs.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the first. Cohl Mercado was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. Ryan Weingartner worked a walk before a flyout moved Mercado to third. Weingartner drew a pickoff throw and while he was in a rundown, Mercado scampered home, while Weingartner ended up at second. Molinaro lined a single to center to bring in Weingartner and extend PSU’s lead to 2-0.
Northwestern answered with five runs in the bottom of the first. A shallow fly ball by Owen McElfatrick landed in right field for a single. Jackson Freeman worked a walk. Two batters later, Liolios lifted a fly ball over the wall in left for a three-run homer. Jack Counsell was hit by a pitch and Tyler Ganus drew a walk to put two runners on. Markinson drove a double into right to bring home Counsell and Ganus. Northwestern led 5-2.
The Nittany Lions showed off their power in the fifth. Kling led off the inning by launching a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left. Two batters later, Joe Jaconski was hit by a pitch. Porter followed by smacking a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence. Kling and Porter’s homers brought the game back to even at 5-5.
Penn State added four runs in the sixth. Weingartner reached on a leadoff walk before stealing second. A sharp single by Molinaro drove in Weingartner. Joe Jaconski held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk to put runners on first and second. Cole Wagner lined a single into right-center to bring home Molinaro and move Jaconski to third. Wagner stole second and Nate Voss drew a walk to load the bases. Jesse Jaconski followed with a single through the middle to drive in two runs. PSU took a 9-5 lead.
The Nittany Lions plated a run in the ninth. Jesse Jaconski led off the inning by blasting the first pitch he saw over the wall in left-center. The 375-foot homer put PSU ahead, 10-5.
Northwestern responded in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Kucherak worked a leadoff walk. A double by Vincent Bianchina put runners on second and third and a walk by Zach Carlson loaded the bases. Lausch bounced a fly ball off the warning track for a ground-rule double to bring in Kucherak and Bianchina.
Game 2
Freshman Matthew VanOstenbridge got the start for Penn State, tossing four innings. He gave up two runs on five hits. VanOstenbridge tallied three strikeouts and walked one.
Harrison Lollin threw two innings, giving up two runs on two hits. Skip Shenosky faced three batters, allowing all to reach and score. Riley Weatherwax allowed all five batters he faced to reach, with all eventually scoring. Will Andrews went two-thirds of an inning before Connor Throneberry finished the seventh before pitching into the eighth. He allowed one run on two hits. Sean Williams worked an inning and struck out two.
Sam Hliboki started on the mound for Northwestern, going six innings. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and struck out one. Blake MacMillian finished the game with three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out three.
Penn State tallied five runs on 12 hits. Bryce Molinaro launched a two-run homer, while Jack Porter had a solo homer among two hits. Ryan Weingartner added two doubles, with an RBI and a run. Paxton Kling recorded two hits, including a double and an RBI single.
Northwestern collected 13 runs on 13 hits. Trent Liolios led the way with five hits, including three solo homers, and four runs. Ryan Kucherak added a homer and three RBI. Zach Carlson and Jackson Freeman each drove in two runs.
Northwestern got on the board in the third. A line drive into left-center by Bennett Markinson got past a diving outfielder and rolled to the wall for a triple. Preston Knott chopped a grounder down the first base line for a groundout but allowed Markinson to score. The Wildcats led 1-0.
The Wildcats added to their lead in the fourth. Leading off the inning, Liolios launched a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left for a solo homer to extend Northwestern’s lead to 2-0.
The Nittany Lions exploded for five runs in the sixth. Cohl Mercado started the inning with a single to right. Weingartner bounced a double off the wall in center as Mercado hustled home. Kling lined a single to left to bring in Weingartner. Molinaro launched a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer. Two batters later, Porter blasted a solo homer to left to extend PSU’s lead to 5-2.
Northwestern answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Liolios lifted a fly ball over the wall in left. A fly ball by Jack Counsell landed in right for a triple. Counsell scored on a groundout by Ethan Borggen to cut the Northwestern deficit to 5-4.
The Wildcats re-took the lead in the seventh. Joshua Ramos and Knott were hit by pitches before Owen McElfatrick worked a walk to load the bases. Freeman lined a single to right to drive in two. Kucherak lifted a fly ball over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer. Liolios lined a single to left and moved up to second on a wild pitch before Counsell drew a walk. Carlson’s fly ball landed in right-center for a double to bring home two runs. Ramos and Knott were hit by pitches to load the bases before McElfatrick sent a sac fly to center to bring in Carlson. Northwestern led 12-5.
Northwestern added a run in the eighth on a solo homer to left-center by Liolios. The Wildcats took a 13-5 lead.