Penn State baseball (22-10, 10-6 Big Ten) defeated Minnesota (11-18, 2-11 Big Ten) 3-0 in a Big Ten series matchup. The Nittany Lions dominated in game one, came back in game two, and led from the first inning in game three

Penn State started hot and put up ten runs in the first game before winning 5-2 in the second. The sweep was secured with a 15-10 victory on Sunday.

How It Happened

Game One

The top of the first inning ended quickly for the Nittany Lions, with an opening strikeout and subsequent double play from the Golden Gophers. Minnesota struck first on an RBI double that sent a baserunner home, taking a 1-0 lead at the end of the first.

The Nittany Lions followed up on Minnesota’s run with an electric second inning, gaining a 2-1 lead with a two-score home run hit out of right field by Cole Wagner. Penn State was not able to find home plate again as the inning ended with Penn State now up by one. The second inning closed out one, two, three, as the Nittany Lions stepped up in the field.

Paxton Kling registered a hit toward left field, becoming the first base runner for the Nittany Lions in the third inning. Kling then stole second, but the inning closed out soon after. The third inning closed out one, two, three as well, as Penn State prepared to hit again with the score remaining at 2-1.

The fourth inning went quickly for the Nittany Lions, as the Golden Gophers put a stop to their hitting in the top of the fourth. Minnesota’s Josh Fitzgerald opened the fourth inning hitting for the Golden Gophers with a ground rule double. However, the Golden Gophers weren’t able to capitalize on the opportunity as the inning closed out with the Nittany Lions remaining on top.

Jesse Jaconski earned his first hit of the game in the top of the fifth inning, a deep single into left field, and subsequently stole second base. With a single from Ryan Weingartner, Jesse Jaconski was able to advance to third. Kling then hit an RBI single into center field, allowing Jesse Jaconski to score and load the bases. The inning then closed out with the Nittany Lions leading 3-1. The Golden Gophers weren’t able to score with their at-bat, with the Nittany Lions still up by two upon entering the sixth inning.

The Jaconski show continued into the sixth inning, starting with Joe Jaconski reaching first base on a wild pitch. Then, Jesse Jaconski hit a line drive RBI double down the left field line, advancing him to second base while Joe Jaconski scored, adding another run to the Penn State lead. Minnesota was not able to respond, as the Nittany Lions stayed up by three entering the seventh inning.

Penn State’s Lucarelli reached first base on a bunt single, opening up the base running for the Nittany Lions in the seventh. After walking another batter in Weingartner, Minnesota elected to make a pitching change from Cole Selvig to Eli Sundquist. Weingartner then got stuck in a foot race between first and second and was tagged out, however, the misdirection allowed Lucarelli to advance to third.

After a Molinaro walk, Jack Porter hit an RBI single to left field that allowed Lucarelli to score and advanced Molinaro to second, extending Penn State’s lead to 5-1. With Wagner up to bat again, an error from pitcher Sundquist allowed Porter to advance to second and Molinaro to third. Minnesota elected to make another pitching change for Will Whelan, as the inning closed out with the Nittany Lions now up by four.

Minnesota’s Weber Neels ended the Golden Gopher scoring drought, with a home run hit out of left field. With the score now 5-2, Kris Hokenson hit a single up the middle. Jameson Martin then pinch-ran for Hokenson. With momentum on Minnesota’s side, Parker Knoll hit an RBI double deep in between left and center field and was able to advance to third on the throw. Martin ran it in, as the Golden Gophers chipped away at the Nittany Lions’s lead, now only down by two, 5-3.

Jesse Jaconski responded quickly in the top of the eighth, hitting a solo home run and putting Penn State up by three again. The Nittany Lions then began to put the hammer down, with a Kling RBI single off an error in right field allowing Joey DeMucci to score, with Penn State up 7-3. With momentum growing in favor of the Nittany Lions, Minnesota elected again for another pitching change, as Joe Sperry came in for Whelan.

Lucarelli then scored off a passed ball, as the runners were able to advance another base with the Nittany Lions now up 8-3. Wagner then hit an RBI triple and brought in two runs, with Penn State now up 10-3. Minnesota was not able to respond, as the score remained 10-3 going into the ninth.

Penn State went out one, two, three in the top of the ninth. Minnesota’s Jameson Martin hit a solo home run, and the game closed out soon after with the Nittany Lions taking game one 10-4.

Game Two

Kling was the first to get on base with a walk to open the second game of the series, however, the inning closed out soon after scoreless after the top of the first. After starting off with two straight outs in the field, Minnesota’s Drew Berkland hit a single up the middle. Penn State catcher Matt Maloney caught a tough pop fly right near home plate to close out the first inning, still scoreless on both sides.

Jesse Jaconski was the first base runner for the Nittany Lions in the second inning, after reaching first base on a walk. Joe Jaconski then hit a double into left field after the ball was lost in the sun, as Jesse Jaconski was able to advance to third. However, the two teams switched sides soon after, as the Golden Gophers prepared to hit, still 0-0. Minnesota was able to advance a runner in Kris Hokenson to third, however, they were not able to score and both teams remained tied at zero going into the third.

Weingartner immediately entered scoring position at the top of the third, hitting a ground rule double deep into left-center that bounced over the wall and out of play. Penn State was then able to load the bases with two outs, gaining momentum on their side, but unfortunately couldn’t capitalize, as the game stayed scoreless. Minnesota’s Josh Fitzgerald opened the hitting in the third inning with a single. With momentum picking up for the Golden Gophers, the Nittany Lions’s defense stepped up big with a double play to get out of the inning and keep things scoreless.

Penn State’s Voss ended the scoring drought in the top of the fourth, with a solo home run to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. After being walked, Lucarelli was then able to advance to second base on a passed ball. Kling then hit an infield single, getting on base and advancing Lucarelli to third. The inning ended not long after, with Minnesota going up to bat down one. The Golden Gophers weren’t able to answer as both teams headed to the fifth inning with Penn State still up by one.

The top of the fifth inning went relatively quickly for the Nittany Lions, with only Jesse Jaconski getting on base. Minnesota then went out one, two, three with a quick switch into the sixth inning, the Nittany Lions still leading 1-0.

Penn State went one, two, three in the top of the sixth as Minnesota prepared to bat, still down by one. After Minnesota batter Neels was hit by a pitch, the Golden Gophers were retired with a Nittany Lion double play ending the sixth inning, still 1-0.

Kling opened the seventh inning with a single. Kling was able to advance to third, but the inning ended soon after. Minnesota answered immediately in the bottom of the seventh with a Jake Elbeery home run over center field. Penn State then elected for a pitching change, with Ben DeMell coming in for Mason Horwat. Berkland then hit an RBI single, with Minnesota taking a 2-1 lead. The inning closed out afterward with the Golden Gophers up by one.

Jesse Jaconski was hit by a pitch to start the eighth inning, and subsequently stole second and third, both on passed balls. Lucarelli was then walked and Weingartner was hit by a pitch, allowing the Nittany Lions to load the bases. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Nittany Lions were not able to advance and the two sides switched with Minnesota still leading 2-1. Hokenson was then hit by a pitch, and with Brayden Hellum pinch running, was able to get to second. The Nittany Lions were able to step up and achieve three straight outs, leaving Hellum on second and ending the inning.

Wagner was able to hit a single and get on base in the ninth inning. Through an error, Jesse Jaconski was able to get on base and Wagner advanced to third. With the tying run of the game at third base, and Joe Jaconski loading the bases again after a walk, Voss stepped up with an RBI double and drove in all three runs, for the Nittany Lions to take a 4-2 lead. Lucarelli then hit an RBI single, bringing in another run with Penn State now up by three.

A late Minnesota rally was not enough, and the Nittany Lions took game two, 5-2.

Game Three

Molinaro secured the first hit of the final game of the series with a single before Porter and Wagner both recorded RBIs and gave Penn State a quick 2-0 lead with two down in the first inning. Wagner stole second and advanced to third base on an error before Jesse Jaconski drove in another run to make it 3-0 before the top half of the inning ended.

Minnesota managed just a single baserunner who was stranded at first in the bottom half of the inning. Penn State’s bats continued to work in the second inning after a two-run home run from Weingartner scored Lacarelli and made the score 5-0. They weren’t done yet, though, and Molinaro launched the second home run of the inning as Penn State took a 6-0 lead.

Logan Olson forced a flyout and struck out the second batter before he hit Jake Larson. Larson was the only baserunner of the second inning for the Golden Gophers as Pery grounded out to first and ended the second frame.

Wagner started off the third inning with a single up the middle before Joe Jaconski fired a ground-rule double. Voss reached base on an error on the next at-bat, advancing Joe Jaconski to third and scoring Wagner to make it 7-0. Lucarelli struck out and Weingartner lined out to end the top half of the third inning.

Olson tossed a three-up, three-down inning to keep Minnesota scoreless with just one hit through the third inning.

Kling opened the fourth inning with a triple and Molinaro followed it up with a sacrifice fly that pushed the Penn State lead to 8-0. Porter smashed a ground-rule double over the wall but was caught stealing at third base and Wagner flew out to end the half-inning. Parker Knoll had the only hit of the fourth inning for the Golden Gophers as they remained scoreless.

The Nittany Lions were held scoreless for the first time in the top of the fifth as only Joe Jaconski reached base on an error. Hokenson walked with two outs in the bottom of the fifth before Berkland homered and got the Golden Gophers on the board. Minnesota followed it up with a single to the shortstop before a strikeout ended the inning with the Nittany Lions leading 8-2.

Molinaro recorded a two-out double to left center in the sixth inning but Porter struck out on the next at-bat and the Nittany Lions were held scoreless again. Minnesota went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the sixth.

Wagner started off the seventh inning with a flyout but Jesse Jaconski was hit by a pitch and got on base. Joe Jaconski hit a two-run homer before Voss followed it up with another homer and Penn State ended the top of the seventh leading 11-2.

Matthew VanOstenbrid entered to pitch walked the first batter he faced and hit the second. After a lineout, Berkland scored two with an RBI double that cut the Penn State lead to 11-4. Neels followed the double with a two-run home run that got the Golden Gophers back within five at 11-6 and Chase Renner entered at pitcher.

Renner struck out the first batter he faced before Elbeery tripled but was thrown out trying to reach home bringing the seventh inning to an end.

Kling struck out to start the eighth before the Nittany Lions rattled off two home runs that pushed the score to 13-6. Wagner singled up the middle and Jesse Jaconski brought in the run with a double to make it 14-6. Joe Jaconski reached second and Jesse Jaconski scored on a wild pitch as Penn State went up by nine. After a walk, Graham grounded into a double play, and the game headed to the bottom of the eighth.

After a single from Richter, Larson hit a two-run homer to bring the score to 15-8. A flyout was followed by a walk and a strikeout. Berkland popped out to first base to end the eighth inning still at 15-8.

Penn State had three straight strikeouts in the top of the ninth and Minnesota started the bottom with a single and a hit-by-pitch. After a pitching change, a strikeout was the first out of the half-inning. A walk loaded the bases and a single drove in two runs and left a runner on first and second to make the score 15-10.

Hokenson flew out to right field for the final out of the game as Penn State won 15-10.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the Mountaineers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.