LINCOLN, Neb. – The Penn State baseball team fought back in the ninth but fell 8-6 at No. 19 Nebraska on Sunday at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The Nittany Lions scored three runs early on a pair of homers by Michael Anderson and then fought for three runs in the ninth, but came up short in its comeback effort.
Penn State is now 8-21 overall (3-9 Big Ten), while Nebraska improved to 26-6 (11-1 Big Ten) with its 10th-straight win.
Freshman Isaiah Shayter got the start for the Nittany Lions, going 2.1 innings. He gave up eight runs on nine hits. Shayter tallied two strikeouts and two walks.
The Nittany Lions got strong work from their bullpen. Four pitchers combined for 5.2 shutout innings, giving up four hits and three walks, while striking out four.
Mason Butash fired three shutout innings, giving up just two hits and a walk, while striking out two. Dimond Loosli worked two-thirds of a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out one. Ben DeMell threw a scoreless frame and struck out one. Mason Horwat worked a scoreless eighth inning.
Cooper Katskee earned the start for Nebraska, tossing seven innings. He gave up three runs on three hits and two walks. Katskee registered six strikeouts. Kevin Mannell worked a scoreless eighth inning. Chase Olson walked both batters he faced with both coming around to score. Pryce Bender allowed a hit and a walk to the two batters he faced, with one of those scoring. J’Shawn Unger recorded the final three outs.
Penn State notched six runs on four hits and six walks. Michael Anderson launched two homers, a two-run shot in the first and a solo blast in the third. Jayden Davis and Jack Porter both singled and scored.
With two homers on Sunday, Anderson now has 13 on the season. He is tied with Adam Beers (1998), Dan Beers (1999), Shawn Fagan (1999), Chris Wright (2001), Paxton Kling (2025) and Bryce Molinaro (2025) for seventh in a season at Penn State.
Anderson recorded his fifth career multi-homer game and his second this season. He also hit two homers against St. John’s on March 4.
Nebraska scored eight runs on 13 hits. Rhett Stokes had a three-run homer among two hits. Drew Grego added a double, a homer and two RBI. Josh Overbeek contributed an RBI double and scored twice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Nittany Lions took an early lead in the first. Jayden Davis dropped a leadoff single into left. Michael Anderson hammered a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left. Anderson’s 12th homer of the year gave Penn State a 2-0 lead.
Nebraska responded in the second. Will Jesske began the frame with a single to center. Josh Overbeek smacked a double into the corner in right as Jesske hustled home. Drew Grego lifted the first pitch he saw over the wall in center. After infield singles by Rhett Stokes and Mac Moyer, Jeter Worthley lined a double into left to bring in Stokes and Moyer. Nebraska led 5-2.
Penn State trimmed its deficit in the third. With one out, Anderson blasted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center. Anderson’s second homer of the day cut PSU’s deficit to 5-3.
Nebraska answered in the bottom of the third. Jesske worked a leadoff walk before a single by Josh Overbeek put runners at first and second. With one out, Stokes lifted a fly ball over the wall in left. The Huskers pushed their lead to 8-3.
In the top of the ninth, Bryce Molinaro worked a leadoff walk. Spencer Barnett held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk. A single to right by Jack Porter loaded the bases. Avery Smith worked a five-pitch walk to allow Molinaro to score. After a pitching change, Jesse Jaconski bounced into a double play but Barnett crossed the plate. A wild pitch brought in Porter to bring PSU within two. Kevin Karstetter worked a two-out walk, but a groundout ended the inning and the game.
UP NEXT
Penn State returns home to take on FDU on Tuesday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. for Dollar Dog Night.
All games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park are free admission for all ages.
The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus for a three-game series at Ohio State next weekend, April 10-12.
The 2026 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.