UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team jumped out to an early three-run lead in the first and cruised to a 10-5 win over St. Bonaventure on Tuesday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Bryce Molinaro and Cole Wagner each had two knocks and drove in two runs. The PSU pitching staff combined for a season-high 16 strikeouts with four earning multiple punch outs. Penn State improved to 15-4 on the year.
St. Bonaventure dropped to 7-12 this season.
On Dollar Dog Night, Penn State welcomed 3,784 fans, who consumed 7,506 hot dogs. Through two Dollar Dog Nights this year, Penn State fans have eaten 13,466 hot dogs.
With a 15-4 mark, Penn State is off to its best 19-game start since a 15-4 record in 1979.
Penn State tallied 10+ runs for the 13th time this season. In program history, PSU has posted 13 games of 10+ runs in a season on six occasions (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2023, 2024).
Junior Logan Olson got the start for the Nittany Lions, working a 1-2-3 first inning and striking out one. Harrison Lollin worked two shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out four. He posted two strikeouts in each of the second and third innings.
Will Andrews fired a scoreless inning, finishing it with a punch out. Carson Renner allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning and struck out one. Sean Williams went 1.1 innings, giving up a run and striking out three. Brandon Wingenroth went one frame, allowing two runs and two walks. Riley Weatherwax struck out the side in the eighth. Anthony Steele went one frame, giving up an unearned run, and struck out three.
Penn State’s pitching staff posted double-digit strikeouts for the ninth time this season.
Jaxson Ross started for St. Bonaventure, going four innings. He gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits. Ross tallied four strikeouts and two walks. Kade Walker went one inning, giving up two runs on one hit. Gilbert Saunders III threw one inning, allowing two runs. Conor Wolf went two innings, allowing three runs (two earned).
Penn State tallied 10 runs on 10 hits. Bryce Molinaro had two hits, including a triple, and two RBI. Cole Wagner added two knocks, with a double, two steals and drove in two runs, while Joe Jaconski had a two-run single. Ryan Weingartner added two hits, a steal and two runs. Paxton Kling doubled and scored three times.
St. Bonaventure registered five runs on four hits. Morgan Little collected two hits, including a solo homer. Jayce Tharnish added an RBI single and two steals.
Penn State jumped out to an early lead. Cohl Mercado reached on a leadoff single and moved to second as Kling reached on an error. Molinaro held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk to load the bases. Joe Jaconski shot a grounder through the right side to bring in Mercado and Kling. A wild pitch bounced to the backstop to allow Molinaro to cross the plate. PSU led 3-0 after one.
St. Bonaventure got a couple runs in the top of the fifth. Conner Vercollone worked a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Ryan Kucy lined a single to left to put runners on first and second. A sac bunt by Paul Vossen moved the runners to second and third. A wild pitch allowed Vercollone to cross the plate. A sharp line drive to right by Tharnish brought in Kucy. PSU’s lead was trimmed to 3-2.
Penn State responded in the bottom half of the fifth. Molinaro lifted a fly ball to right center, narrowly missing a home run, but hustled to third for a triple. Jack Porter worked a walk and Wagner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A passed ball allowed Molinaro to score. A walk drawn by Nate Voss re-loaded the bases before Jesse Jaconski drove in Porter on a sac fly to center. Penn State pushed its lead to 5-2.
St. Bonaventure got a run back in the sixth as Little led off the inning by blasting a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right-center. PSU led 5-3.
The Nittany Lions added two runs in the sixth. Weingartner reached on a leadoff walk. A fly ball by Kling landed in center as he hustled to second for a double. Molinaro smacked a single into right-center to bring in Weingartner and Kling. PSU extended its lead to 7-3.
The Bonnies got a run in the seventh. Tharnish worked a walk to start the frame. He stole second before Chris Hoalcraft drew a walk. A groundout moved runners to second and third before Robert Mannino lifted a fly ball to center for a sac fly to bring in Tharnish. SBU cut its deficit to 7-4.
Penn State plated three runs in the eighth. Weingartner singled to left to begin in the inning. Kling reached on an error and Joe Jaconski walked to load the bases. A grounder by Porter resulted in a fielder’s choice with everyone reaching safely and Weingartner scoring. Wagner followed with a single to left to drive in Kling and Jaconski. PSU pushed its lead to 10-4.
St. Bonaventure scored again in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Tucker Genovesi reached on a leadoff walk. He moved up to second on a wild pitch before scoring on an error, the result of a grounder by David Marshall.
The Nittany Lions welcome Lafayette on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. start on B1G+.
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.