Penn State baseball (3-4) won its series against the Maine Black Bears (1-5) this weekend by claiming two of three games in a high-scoring tilt.

After winning the series opener on Friday afternoon, Penn State and Maine split a two-game doubleheader on Saturday. The Nittany Lions outscored the Black Bears 16-11 on the weekend.

Game One

Trying to improve on a 1-3 start to its season, Penn State opened up a three-game series against Maine with a big 4-3 win.

Sophomore Travis Luensmann received the start and pitched well, allowing three runs and striking out eight over six innings of work. Steven Miller and Tyler Shingledecker combined for three shutout innings out of the bullpen.

After falling behind 3-0 early, highlighted by a two-run home run from Joe Bramanti, the Nittany Lions stormed back in the fifth inning thanks to a two-RBI base hit from Matt Wood. Penn State tied it up in the sixth on an RBI double from Billy Gerlott.

Both bullpens kept the game tied entering the ninth, when the Nittany Lions won on a throwing error by Maine second baseman Quinn McDaniel.

Game Two

After dropping the first game of the weekend series, Maine took game one of a Saturday doubleheader 5-3.

Despite a very solid performance on the mound from Kellan Tulio and a home run from shortstop Jay Harry, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, leading to a four-run top of the ninth from Maine and Penn State’s fourth loss of the season.

Kellan Tulio earned the start, and the junior southpaw was phenomenal, allowing just one run on three hits across six innings of work. Jaden Henline struggled in his three innings out of the bullpen. He allowed four runs (two earned) en route to his first loss of the season.

A two-run triple and a wild pitch in the top of the ninth put Maine in front 5-3, a score that would hold up and give the Black Bears their first win of the season.

Game Three

With both teams splitting the first two games of the series, Penn State entered the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader trying to clinch its first series win of the young season.

The bats had their best game so far while backed by solid pitching, giving the Nittany Lions a dominant 9-3 win to avoid the doubleheader sweep and the series loss.

After falling behind 1-0 early, the offense got going and scored four unanswered runs at one point. Josh Spiegel contributed just one hit, but the redshirt junior was a key part of Penn State’s win. He knocked in three runs thanks to a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a two-run double in the eighth.

Anthony Steele also drove in two runs on two hits including a two-RBI triple in fifth.

Tommy Molsky, Jordan Morales, and Mason Mellott combined for 11 strikeouts while allowing just five hits. Morales earned the win, his first of the year.

Takeaways

• The offense had a big weekend and scored a total of 16 runs in the series win over Maine. The Nittany Lions’ big weekend was capped off with a nine-run outburst in the series finale on Saturday. Jay Harry, Matt Wood, Anthony Steele, and Josh Spiegel were the big standouts in the Penn State lineup throughout the series.
• Starting pitchers Tommy Molsky, Kellan Tulio, and Travis Luensmann all turned in solid performances on the mound over the weekend. The three combined for 16.2 innings of work. No Penn State starting pitcher this weekend gave up more than three earned runs.
• Maine’s Kellan Tulio’s performance in game one of the doubleheader deserves its own takeaway. If it were not for a late game struggle from the bullpen, the Nittany Lions would’ve swept the Black Bears and entered the next series over .500. Tulio struck out five across six innings allowing just one run on three hits.

What’s Next?

Penn State will leave Cary, North Carolina, and hit the road for Charlottesville, Virginia, where they will open up a series with the Virginia Cavaliers. A three-game weekend series is set for March 4, 5, and 6. Start times are 3 p.m., 1 p.m., and 1 p.m., respectively.