Penn State baseball (29-19, 15-14 Big Ten) secured the series win on Saturday night in Piscataway, taking down Rutgers (25-26, 12-14 Big Ten), 11-7 in a high-scoring affair.

The offense jumped on Rutgers’ pitching early and gave the pitching staff enough cushion to settle into the game before adding late insurance. A pair of home runs by Jack Porter and consistent pressure lifted the Nittany Lions to their third straight conference victory and their first series win since April 18-20 against Purdue.

How It Happened

Penn State sent Logan Olson to the mound against Rutgers’ Justin Shadek. Neither team plated a run in the first, as Shadek worked around a leadoff single and Olson worked around a two-out walk.

Jesse Jaconski led off the second with a double that started a massive inning for Penn State. A sacrifice bunt by Joe Jaconski was booted by Shadek, putting runners on the corners. After a walk to Nate Voss loaded the bags, Matt Maloney singled in a pair to start the scoring. After another sac bunt, Ryan Weingartner grounded a ball to third that was fired home and failed to get Voss trying to score. A Paxton Kling ground-rule double plated another before Jack Porter finished a seven-run inning with a long three-run homer.

Jack Porter!!! He goes yard to center for a three-run shot!

T2 | PSU 7, RU 0#WeAre pic.twitter.com/in5QxauUvv

— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) May 10, 2025

Leading 7-0, Olson gave back a run in the bottom half of the inning and gave up two more on a home run and an RBI single in the third, cutting the lead to 7-3. After walking five batters through three choppy innings, he would be lifted afterward.

The Nittany Lions chased Shadek from the game in the fourth after a trio of singles brought in an eighth run, with Bryce Molinaro picking up the RBI. Unfortunately, the offense’s assault on Rutgers’ pitching was partially wasted when Mason Horwat came on for Olson in the bottom of the fourth and immediately got in serious trouble.

Horwat gave up two walks, a double, and two singles consecutively with one out, plating three runs. After an RBI groundout cut the lead to one, Mike Gambino lifted the struggling righty for Matt VanOstenbridge, who ended the inning at 8-7.

Both bullpens were able to settle in from there, as Nolan Peel retired seven straight for the Scarlet Knights and VanOstenbridge navigated out of trouble in the sixth to keep the one-run lead into the back third of the game.

Peel started the seventh for Rutgers but immediately gave up a towering home run to Porter, his second of the game and tenth of the season, to put Penn State up 9-7. Molinaro walked on the next batter but was caught stealing.

Matt Morash came on after the seventh-inning stretch and pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Penn State looked to add on in the eighth with a Maloney walk and Derek Cease single, but both were stranded. Another 1-2-3 inning by Morash sent it to the ninth with a two-run lead for the Nittany Lions.

Porter got hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth before being lifted for a pinch runner, reaching base for the fourth time to go along with his three hits and two home runs. One batter later, Molinaro put the icing on the cake, walloping a 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall for his 12th home run of the season, tying Kling for the team lead, and putting Penn State up 11-7.

Harrison Lollin came on for the last three outs. He gave up a leadoff single but was able to get through the ninth with no trouble on a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. VanOstenbridge took the win, his second of the season.

Takeaways:

• Redshirt sophomore Jack Porter has become a weapon for the Nittany Lions. After an okay start, he caught fire at the right time. Following his multi-homer performance today, the Florida native is now hitting .319 with ten home runs, 14 doubles, and 38 RBI.
• Penn State’s 29th win ties their totals in 2012 and 2024 for the most since 2011. One more win will secure the program’s third 30-win season since 2000.
• Their 15 conference victories tie the second-most for the program since 2012. A win in the series finale on Sunday would secure the first winning record in conference play since that 2012 season.
• Penn State’s win vaulted them into seventh in the Big Ten standings for the moment. They’ve clinched a spot in the Big Ten Tournament and figure to be seeded between sixth and 11th, depending on what happens Sunday and next weekend.

What’s Next?

Penn State goes for the sweep of Rutgers in Piscataway in their Big Ten regular-season finale at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 11. The game will be televised on Big Ten Plus.