Penn State baseball (10-5) defeated Georgetown (11-7) 6-1 Saturday afternoon in the 2023 home opener at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, March 17, but it was pushed back due to weather.

The Nittany Lions had an excellent day at the plate, scoring six runs on 10 hits. Kyle Hannon and Johnny Piacentino each collected two hits in the win. Starting pitchers Daniel Ouderkirk and Travis Luensmann both pitched in the contest, allowing only four hits and one run combined.

How It Happened

Daniel Ouderkirk was on the mound for the Nittany Lions striving toward his fourth game in a row with double-digit strikeouts.

It was a slow start for the Nittany Lions as their first hit didn’t come until the third inning. Bobby Marsh and Kyle Hannon led off the third with back-to-back singles. After a quick mound visit, Johnny Piacentino smashed a first-pitch double in the left-center gap to score both runners. Josh Spiegel then joined in on the fun with a single to score Piacentino from second, make the score 3-0.

Georgetown grabbed a run back in the top of the fifth after back-to-back singles by Jake Hyde and Ubaldo Lopez and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Hoyas. Ouderkirk was then pulled and Travis Luensmann was brought into the game. Luensmann got a 1-2-3 double play, but a wild pitch brought in a run for Georgetown.

In the bottom half of the inning, Penn State earned another run. Marsh led off with a walk and Piacentino moved him to third with his second hit of the day. Anthony Steele came up pinch-hitting for Spiegel and drove Marsh in with a single of his own, bringing the lead back to three.

Penn State scored in the sixth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. Ben Kailher got caught in a rundown, allowing Tayven Kelley to bring the score to 5-1.

Kyle Hannon then smashed a home run over the right-center field wall, making the score 6-1. Hannon’s homer was his fourth of the year.

Luensmann stayed in relief for the remainder of the game, holding on to the five-run lead and securing the victory for the Nittany Lions.

Takeaways:

• Kyle Hannon and Johnny Piacentino both had great days at the plate. They each collected two hits, including Hannon’s fourth home run of the year.
• Daniel Ourdekirk’s stat line wasn’t as good as it has been, but he still pitched well in his four innings. He totaled six strikeouts, the least he’s had in a game since his first start against Miami, but only allowed three hits and one earned run.
• Travis Luensmann had a rare relief appearance and looked as good as ever. In his five innings pitched, Luensmann struck out three and allowed only one hit and three walks.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will face Georgetown again at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 19, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.