Penn State baseball (17-35) exploded for nine unanswered runs Tuesday evening at Medlar Field, including a seven-run bottom of the eighth, to blow by Villanova 11-5.

How It Happened

In their final non-conference game of the regular season, Rob Cooper’s Nittany Lions awakened the bats with 15 hits. Eight players finished with at least one hit in the comeback victory, and five added two RBIs apiece. Freshman right fielder Braxton Giavedoni led the way with three base knocks from the third spot in the lineup, while Schuyler Bates (3-3) came on in relief for Myles Gayman and picked up the win thanks to four strong innings.

Penn State trailed the Wildcats 5-2 heading into the sixth, but Brett Davis and Logan Goodnight would provide an RBI each to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Nittany Lions opened the floodgates in the eighth inning with a seven-run rally on their way to a well-earned win.

Player Of The Game

Braxton Giavedoni | Freshman | Right fielder

It was a tough choice considering how many Nittany Lions stepped up in the batter’s box Tuesday, but the Punxsutawney, Pa., native gets the nod here. He finished 3-for-5 hitting with two runs and two RBIs.

What’s Next?

Penn State will host Nebraska this Friday through Sunday in the last Big Ten series of the season.