COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State baseball team dropped a 6-4 decision in the series and season finale at Maryland on Saturday afternoon at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. The Nittany Lions took an early lead on a solo homer by Jayden Davis and tied the game in the sixth with back-to-back homers by Spencer Barnett and Maddox McDonald, but the Terrapins re-took the lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Penn State finished the season with a 16-35 record (9-21 Big Ten), while Maryland went 27-29 (9-21 Big Ten).
Isaiah Shayter made the start on the mound for the Nittany Lions, working four innings. He allowed four runs on five hits. Shayter recorded two strikeouts and one walk. He had a 1-2-3 first inning, including a strikeout.
Ben DeMell threw two innings, allowing two runs on three hits. DeMell notched one strikeout and three walks. DeMell made his 81st career pitching appearance at Penn State, finishing his Nittany Lion career fourth all-time in appearances.
Mason Horwat worked two scoreless innings, surrendering two hits, and struck out one.
Logan Hastings got the start for Maryland, going six innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits. Hastings secured 12 strikeouts and walked two batters. Lance Williams picked up the save with three scoreless innings and struck out five.
Penn State collected four runs on seven hits. Michael Anderson notched two doubles and drove in a run. Spencer Barnett, Jayden Davis and Maddox McDonald all launched solo homers. Preston Yaucher added a double and a run.
Barnett reached the 10-homer mark for the season. Over the last three years, nine Nittany Lions have hit 10+ homers in a season.
Maryland tallied six runs on 10 hits. Devin Russell hit two homers, among three hits, and drove in three runs. Paul Jones III added two hits, including a two-run homer. Bud Coombs contributed a hit and two runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early lead. Leading off the game, Jayden Davis crushed a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center. His fifth homer of the year gave PSU a 1-0 lead.
The Terrapins tied the game in the second. Bud Coombs was hit by a pitch before Paul Jones II singled to put runners on second and third. A sac bunt moved the runners up a base. Nate Hawton-Henley bounced a grounder to the left side for a fielder’s choice to allow Coombs to cross the plate. The game was even at 1-1.
Maryland took the lead in the third. Leading off the frame, Devin Russell crushed an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left-center. The Terrapins led 2-1.
The Terrapins added on in the fourth. After a leadoff single by Coombs, Jones II hit a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right. Maryland held a 4-1 advantage.
Penn State trimmed its deficit in the fifth. A pop fly by Preston Yaucher landed in shallow right as Yaucher hustled to second for a double. Two batters later, Michael Anderson ripped a double down the left-field line to bring in Yaucher. PSU trailed 4-2.
The Nittany Lions tied the game in the sixth. With one out, Spencer Barnett hammered a 2-0 pitch over the wall in center. Maddox McDonald followed with a big swing, on a 2-1 pitch, over the batter’s eye. The game was even at 4-4.
Maryland re-took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Hawton-Henley worked a walk and then went to second on a sac bunt. Russell lifted a fly ball over the wall in left to give the Terrapins a 6-4 lead.
CAREER/SEASON RECORDS
Career
Pitching Appearances - DeMell - 81 (4th)
RBI - Molinaro - 150 (5th)
Home Runs - Molinaro - 39 (2nd)
Total Bases - Molinaro - 337 (6th)
Slugging Percentage - Molinaro - .539 (7th)
Season
Home Runs - Anderson - 20 (1st); Molinaro - 15 (t-6th)
Slugging Percentage - Anderson - .742 (4th)
Total Bases - Anderson - 141 (4th)
Hit By Pitches - Anderson - 18 (1st)