UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team fell 11-6 against USC on Sunday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Nittany Lions closed their deficit to one run, 6-5, with a grand slam by Ryan Weingartner in the fourth, but USC answered with three runs in the fifth.
Penn State is now 22-12 overall and 10-8 in Big Ten play, while USC moved to 23-12 overall and 11-7 in conference action.
Logan Olson made the start on the mound for the Nittany Lions, going 2.2 innings. He was charged with four runs on one hit and two walks, while striking out one. Anthony Steele worked 1.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and striking out two.
Ben DeMell went two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on five hits and recording one strikeout. Chase Renner worked 2.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out three. Dimond Loosli threw two innings, giving up one run (unearned) with two walks and one strikeout.
Jackson Baker got the start for USC, working 1.1 innings. He allowed one run on one hit and three walks, while striking out one. Sax Matson struck out the final two batters of the second. Grant Govel threw three innings, allowing five runs on four hits. He registered four strikeouts and walked two batters.
Dylan Osborne went 1.1 scoreless innings, notching one strikeout and walking two. Brodie Purcell earned the win, going 1.1 shutout innings and striking out four. Ethan Hedges worked a scoreless ninth and struck out two.
Penn State collected six runs on five hits and 10 walks. Ryan Weingartner had a grand slam among two hits and added two walks and a steal. Jesse Jaconski contributed an RBI single, while Nate Voss singled and scored.
Weingartner launched PSU’s sixth grand slam of the season (Kling at Richmond; Voss at VCU; Molinaro vs. Indiana; Kling vs. Indiana; Jesse Jaconski vs. Michigan State).
Weingartner’s steal was his 23rd of the year, breaking a tie with Blake Lynd (22; 2009) for sixth in a season at PSU. The junior is four steals away from the PSU season record held by Michael Campo (27; 1999) and Kyle Hannon (27; 2003).
USC tallied 11 runs on 11 hits. Abbrie Covarrubias had two hits and drove in three runs to go with two steals. Brayden Dowd had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs. Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek had a solo homer and scored twice, while Adrian Lopez notched three hits, including a double and an RBI single, and scored two runs.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the second. Cole Wagner held off on a 3-2 pitch for a leadoff walk. He moved up to second on a wild pitch before Voss worked a walk. Joe Jaconski drew a walk to load the bases. After a pitching change, Cohl Mercado was hit by a pitch to allow Wagner to cross the plate. PSU led 1-0.
The Trojans answered in the top of the third. With one out, Dean Carpentier worked a four-pitch walk and Richard Tejeda was hit by a pitch. Dowd lined a double to the wall in right to bring in Carpentier. Ethan Hedges sent a sac fly to right to plate Tejeda. Martin-Grudzielanek worked a walk. Lopez followed with a single to left to bring in Dowd. An error on a pickoff play allowed the runners to move to second and third. Covarrubias shot a single through the left side to bring in Grudzielanek and Lopez. USC held a 5-1 lead.
USC added a run in the fourth. With one out, Carpentier was hit by a pitch. He moved up to second on a wild pitch. A double to right by Dowd brought home Carpentier to push USC’s lead to 6-1.
Penn State answered in the bottom half of the fourth. Jesse Jaconski worked a leadoff walk before Voss sent a single to left. A walk drawn by Mercado loaded the bases. Weingartner blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for a grand slam to cut PSU’s deficit to 6-5.
USC responded in the fifth. Martin-Grudzielanek led off the frame with a homer to right. Lopez followed with a double to left and Covarrubias grounded a single to right to bring in Lopez. After Covarrubias was picked off, Jack Basseer snuck a grounder inside of third base for a double. Carpentier followed with a double to center to bring home Basseer. USC led 9-5.
The Nittany Lions got a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jack Porter lined a double to left to start the frame. Two batters later, Jesse Jaconski smacked a line drive into center to bring in Porter. PSU trailed 9-6.
The Trojans added a run in the seventh. After Lopez reached on a leadoff single, Covarrubias replaced him at first on a fielder’s choice. Kevin Takeuchi lined a double to right-center as Covarrubias hustled home. USC extended its lead to 10-6.
USC plated a run in the eighth. Tejeda reached on an error to start the inning and moved up to second on the plate. Tejeda moved up to third on a sac bunt and scored on an error on a pickoff throw. The Trojans led 11-6.
The Nittany Lions welcome Delaware on Tuesday, April 15 for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch. Tuesday is Dollar Dog Night, featuring $1 hot dogs.
All home games are free admission for all ages.
The 2025 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.