Penn State baseball (17-11, 1-5 Big Ten) defeated Delaware State (6-23, 2-10 MEAC) 15-3 on Saturday afternoon at Medlar Field to cap off an undefeated series over the Hornets. The run marks the Nittany Lions’ first three-game series sweep of the current campaign.

The bats were on fire yet again, with Tayven Kelley and Thomas Bramley leading the team with three RBIs each. Defensively, Daniel Ouderkirk had a solid performance on the bump for Penn State, highlighted by four strikeouts in five innings pitched.

How It Happened

After a quiet opening frame, Penn State drew first blood in the second inning. A double steal by Grant Norris and Billy Gerlott with runners on the corners helped the Nittany Lions earn their first run. The next batter was Tayven Kelley, and he smacked a double into the right-center field gap to score another run, bringing the margin to 2-0.

Penn State tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Kyle Hannon nailed a triple past the left fielder and was brought home with a single by Thomas Bramley. Then, the Pennsylvania native advanced to second, scoring on a ground-rule double from Norris for his second hit of the day. Norris didn’t take long to cross home, as Bobby Marsh smoked a single back up the middle to make the game 5-0.

Penn State sat comfortability with a five-run lead after the opening stretch, but Rob Cooper’s crew remained hungry. Kelley led off the fourth with a triple into the right-center gap, and Tyson Cooper brought him home a pitch later with a double toward left-center. A grounder moved Cooper to third, and a sacrifice fly by Bramley brought him home, extending the lead to 7-0.

The runs kept flying on the board in bunches for the Nittany Lions. During the fifth frame, a walk benefitting Norris, and a single by Marsh put two runners on base for pinch hitter CJ Pittaro. Pittaro chopped a single, which scored Norris and advanced Marsh to third. Kelley stepped up next and continued his impressive day by smoking another triple deep into the Hornets’ outfield, resulting in two more runs. Bramley floated a single to right field, which allowed Kelley to score, putting the game at an 11-0 domination point.

Daniel Ouderkirk rolled through the first five innings of work, but he hit trouble in the sixth. Delaware State would strike back with a few runs of their own, as a hit by a pitch and back-to-back singles would score one run. Ultimately, Ouderkirk was pulled for Anthony Steele, who allowed one more run. The matchup stood at 11-3 in the Nittany Lions’ favor after the sixth inning.

However, Penn State was not done at the plate. Josh Spiegel led off the sixth with a walk and was scored by Steele, who carried a single past Delaware State’s infield. Two batters later, Kelley walked, and Cooper brought Steele home for another run. Derek Cease stepped up next, as he smacked a double to score two more runs, resulting in a 15-3 edge.

Steele remained in the game to pitch the seventh. He retired the side quickly to wrap up a 15-3 win thanks to a 10-run mercy rule.

Takeaways:

• Tayven Kelley, have a day! After disappointing over the last few outings, the senior broke out of his slump by exploding for three extra-base hits during Saturday’s contest. Kelley recorded three RBIs off of two triples and a double.
• Daniel Ouderkirk showed signs of prowess and poise on the mound all afternoon. The right-hander went five innings, marking the first time he made it past the fifth inning since March 4. He allowed only four hits and recorded four strikeouts.
• The offense looked potent again, recording 15 runs off 15 hits and winning their first game of the year due to a 10-run mercy rule.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will wrap up a nine-game homestead at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11, with a matchup against West Virginia. The game will be played at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park and live-streamed on BTN+.