Penn State baseball (21-13 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) defeated Ohio State (20-18 overall, 3-10 Big Ten) 10-3 Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The Nittany Lions established control early in the game with a four-run first inning. Although the Buckeyes kept the game from getting too far out of hand throughout much of the contest, the Nittany Lions cruised to a 10-3 win to open the series.

How It Happened

Jaden Henline was Penn State’s starting pitcher. Henline came into the game with a 4-1 record, 3.32 ERA, and 27 strikeouts. On the other hand, Ohio State starting pitcher Gavin Bruni had a 2-1 record, a 4.50 ERA, and 40 strikeouts entering the contest.

Henline got through the first inning with relative ease. After Trey Lipsey singled to center field, Kyle Hannon got him out the next play as part of a double play. Tyler Pettorini hit a chopper that nearly got past Henline, but he fielded it and completed the throw to first base to end the top half of the inning.

Meanwhile, Bruni struggled in the bottom of the first. He loaded the bases thanks to hitting Jay Harry in the shin with a pitch and two singles from Josh Spiegel and Thomas Bramley.

Then, Penn State struck first as Johnny Piacentino hit a grand slam to give the Nittany Lions a 4-0 lead in the first inning. It was his third homer of the season.

After a scoreless second inning for both teams, Penn State generated more offense in the third inning. Spiegel and Bramley both got on base again, and Bobby Marsh drove them home with an RBI double to make it 6-0.

The fourth inning was scoreless. The Buckeyes, however, had runners on second and third bases, but the Nittany Lions’ defense got Henline out of trouble with two ground outs and a caught fly ball.

In the fifth inning, though, Ohio State’s three consecutive singles loaded the bases. Pettorini hit a sacrifice ground-out to second base, scoring Mitchell Okuley to make it 6-1. The Nittany Lions answered in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single from Grant Norris, sending Bobby Marsh home to make it 7-1.

Penn State’s bats remained at work into the sixth inning. Thomas Bramley’s single to right field scored Harry to make it 8-1. Then, Spiegel made it to home plate after Marsh reached first base on a fielder’s choice to increase the lead to 9-1.

However, Henline appeared tired come the seventh inning. He finished the side, but not before giving up a two-run blast against Kade Kern, trimming the lead to 9-3.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Harry homered to right field to increase the lead to 10-3.

Penn State took that lead into the ninth inning, and Ryan Partridge had no issues striking out the side to complete the 10-3 win.

Takeaways:

• Jaden Henline had another strong start for the Nittany Lions with four strikeouts and three runs allowed over seven innings, the first four being scoreless. His pitching stifled any offensive momentum Ohio State generated, which helped Penn State maintain a large lead.
• Johnny Piacentino had a solid night in his second game back from an injury, with a grand slam that set the game’s tone in the first inning. His presence was certainly missed, as he wasted no time making an impact in the lineup.
• Bobby Marsh also had a great night with three RBI. He’s been hitting .326, which is adding to an already potent Penn State offense.

What’s Next?

Penn State and Ohio State are scheduled to play game two of the three-game series on at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.