UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team dropped a 4-1 decision against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Nittany Lions took an early 1-0 lead in the second, but the Scarlet Knights tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the seventh to spoil a strong outing by Ben Hudson.
Penn State is now 10-26 overall (4-13 Big Ten), while Rutgers moved to 20-19 overall (6-11 Big Ten).
Ben Hudson took the mound for the Nittany Lions, working 6.2 innings. He was charged with three runs on five hits. Hudson recorded six strikeouts and one walk. He held the Scarlet Knights scoreless through the first 4.2 innings and surrendered no extra-base hits.
Kyle Emmons threw 1.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out one. Ben DeMell tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Vincent Borghese made the start for Rutgers, firing eight innings. He gave up one run on seven hits. Borghese registered six strikeouts and two walks. Jason Masick picked up the save with a scoreless ninth.
Penn State recorded one run on seven hits. Maddox McDonald had an RBI single, while Jack Porter singled and scored. Kevin Karstetter added two hits, while Jayden Davis contributed a double.
Rutgers tallied four runs on nine hits. Ryan Jaros recorded two hits and drove in three runs. Trey Wells added a single and an RBI. Gabriel Rivera contributed two hits and a run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first, Jayden Davis ripped a leadoff double to left-center. However, three straight groundouts prevented Davis from scoring.
The Nittany Lions got on the board in the second. Jack Porter shot a grounder through the left side for a leadoff single. Kevin Karstetter followed with a single to right. Avery Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Maddox McDonald sent a line drive into center to bring in Porter. Penn State led 1-0.
Rutgers tied the game in the top of the fifth. Gabriel Rivera led off the frame with a single to center. He moved up to second and third on consecutive groundouts to the pitcher. Ryan Jaros bounced a grounder through the right side to drive in Rivera. The game was even at 1-1.
In the sixth, with two outs, Karstetter dribbled a single through the middle. Smith lined a single to center to put runners on the corners. However, McDonald’s fly ball was caught just in front of the warning track in center to end the inning.
The Scarlet Knights took the lead in the seventh. Yomar Carreras began the inning with a single to center. He moved up to second on a sac bunt. Trey Wells lined a single to right to put runners on the corners. After Wells stole second, Jaros roped a single to center to bring in Carreras and Wells. Rutgers led 3-1.
Rutgers added a run in the eighth. Jack Sweeney sent a double off the wall in left to begin the frame. Charlie Meglio reached on a bunt single as pinch-runner Tyler Wiltsey hustled to third. Joey Erace worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases. Wells held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk to bring in Wiltsey. The Scarlet Knights held a 4-1 lead.
In the ninth, Smith worked a leadoff walk. He moved up to second before Davis was hit by a pitch. However, a fly ball was caught in center to end the game.
Up Next
The series concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start as Penn State baseball hosts the Nittany Lion’s Birthday Party. Sunday also includes postgame kids run the bases.
All games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park are free for all ages.