MESA, Ariz. – The Penn State baseball team fell 24-5 against Kansas State on Sunday at Sloan Park in its final game of the MLB Desert Invitational. The Wildcats broke the game open with 14 runs in the seventh. PSU dropped to 1-2 on the season, while KSU improved to 3-0.
Isaiah Shayter made his collegiate debut on the mound for the Nittany Lions. He went 3.1 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits. Shayter recorded one strikeout and three walks.
Kyle Emmons threw one inning, allowing three runs on two hits. Frankie Sanchez went two-thirds of an inning. Skip Shenosky went one inning and gave up one run. Mason Butash gave up six runs over two-thirds of an inning and Matthew VanOstenbridge was charged with four runs. Braden Leed recorded the final out of the seventh.
Lincoln Sheffield got the start for Kansas State, working five innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits. Sheffield notched five strikeouts and a walk. Matt Flores gave up one run in one inning. Miles Smith allowed one run in the seventh.
Penn State tallied five runs on nine hits. Jesse Jaconski hit his first home run of the season, while Jayden Davis and Preston Yaucher each had two hits and an RBI. Joey DeMucci added two hits and a run, while Jack Porter had an RBI double.
Kansas State tallied 24 runs on 21 hits. Dee Kennedy had four hits, including two homers, and drove in seven runs. AJ Evasco drove in three runs, while five other Wildcats drove in two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wildcats got on the board in the second inning. Kennedy worked a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Kyle Lodice was hit by a pitch. Micah Kendrick ripped a double to right to bring in Kennedy. Ty Smolinski followed with a sac fly to left to drive in Lodice. Kansas State led 2-0.
Penn State answered with a run in the bottom half. Porter was hit by a pitch to start the frame. An error on a fielder’s choice left runners on first and second. Two batters later, DeMucci reached on an infield single to load the bases. Yaucher ripped a single to right to drive in Porter and cut PSU’s deficit to 2-1.
Kansas State responded with a pair of runs in the third. Robby Bolin led off with an infield single. Grant Gallagher smacked a triple to left as Bolin hustled home. Shintaro Inoue sent a single through the right side to bring in Gallagher and extend KSU’s lead to 4-1.
Penn State plated a run in the bottom of the third. Jayden Davis sent a single through the right side to begin the frame. Michael Anderson held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk. Two batters later, Porter lined a double to left to bring in Davis. PSU trailed 4-2.
The Wildcats scored two runs in the fourth. Lodice reached on a leadoff double before Smolinski walked. Bear Madliak sent a single into left to drive in Lodice. A single by Bolin plated Smolinski to push KSU’s lead to 6-2.
Penn State chipped away again in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, DeMucci lined a single to right. Yaucher followed with a single to the same spot to put runners on first and second. Cohl Mercado lined a single to center to bring in DeMucci. Penn State trailed 6-3.
Kansas State answered in the fifth. Kennedy blasted a leadoff homer to left. Evasco worked a walk before Kendrick was hit by a pitch. Smolinski sent a single through the middle to bring in Evasco. A sac fly to right by Madliak brought in Kendrick. KSU led 9-3.
The Wildcats added a run in the sixth after back-to-back doubles by Kennedy and Evasco. K-State pushed its lead to 10-3.
Penn State trimmed its deficit on a solo homer by Jaconski. The senior went 415 feet to center to cut the deficit to 10-4.
Kansas State added 14 runs in the seventh, including two on a double by Kennedy and two on a single by Evasco. Kendrick and Inoue added RBI singles before Kennedy launched a grand slam to left. KSU led 22-4.
The Nittany Lions got a run in the bottom of the seventh. Justin Turcovski worked a leadoff walk and stole second before reaching third on a wild pitch. A groundout by Davis allowed Turcovski to score.
UP NEXT
Penn State travels to Richmond for a four-game series at Pitt Field.
The Nittany Lions meet the Spiders on Friday at 1 p.m. followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday’s series finale at 1 p.m.
The 2026 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.