COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Penn State baseball team dropped a 12-2 decision, in seven innings, against Maryland on Friday evening at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Spencer Barnett and Preston Yaucher homered for the Nittany Lions, but the Terrapins hit four homers to spark themselves.
The Nittany Lions dropped to 16-34 overall (9-20 Big Ten) while Maryland improved to 26-29 overall (8-21 Big Ten).
Penn State snapped a streak of holding Big Ten opponents to five or less runs in 10-straight games.
Ben Hudson made the start for the Nittany Lions, working 3.1 innings. He allowed six runs on five hits. He recorded two strikeouts and one walk.
Kyle Emmons threw 1.2 frames, giving up two runs on three hits. Emmons secured one strikeout and walked two. Dimond Loosli allowed three runs over one-third of an inning. Mason Horwat got the final two outs of the sixth, including a strikeout. Robert Brown III faced one batter.
Cristofer Cespedes started on the mound for Maryland, firing six innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out 12 and walking none. Brayden Ryan worked a scoreless seventh.
Penn State tallied two runs on five hits. Barnett recorded two hits, including a solo homer. Yaucher added a solo homer. Bryce Molinaro and Avery Smith contributed hits.
Maryland plated 12 runs on 12 hits. Devin Russell hit two homers and drove in three runs, while David Mendez added a homer, a triple and three RBI. Bud Coombs added a solo homer, while Brayden Martin had two hits and two RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early lead in the second. With one out, Spencer Barnett launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right-center. Barnett’s ninth homer of the year gave PSU a 1-0 lead.
Maryland responded in the bottom of the second. Leading off the inning, David Mendez lifted a fly ball over the wall in left. With one out, Paul Jones II worked a walk before Ty Kaunas sent a single through the middle. Nate Hawton-Henley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jordan Crosland was hit by a pitch to allow Jones II to score. Brayden Martin shot a grounder through the left side to bring in two and push the Terrapins’ lead to 4-1.
The Terrapins added a pair of runs in the fourth. With one out, Hawton-Henley reached on an infield single. Devin Russell lifted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center. Maryland led 6-1.
Penn State got a run back in the fifth. With two outs, Preston Yaucher launched a 1-0 pitch over the batter’s eye. Yaucher’s second homer of the season trimmed PSU’s deficit to 6-2.
Maryland added a pair of runs in the fifth. Beginning the frame, Bud Coombs hit a 4-1 pitch over the wall in right-center. Jones II singled and moved to second on a groundout. Hawton-Henley lined a single to center to bring in Jones II. The Terrapins held an 8-2 advantage.
The Terrapins plated three runs in the sixth. Martin’s grounder hit off the third base bag and into left field for a single. Ryan Costello lined a double to right to put runners on second and third. Mendez ripped a triple into the corner in right to bring in both runners. Two batters later, Jones II’s grounder resulted in a fielder’s choice as Mendez beat the throw home. Maryland led 11-2.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Russell sent an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center to end the game at 12-2.
Up Next
Saturday’s series finale begins at 1 p.m. with a stream on B1G+.