Penn State baseball (10-25, 4-12 Big Ten) came up short against Rutgers (19-19, 6-10 Big Ten) on Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, falling 13-11.

Colin Fitzgerald posted another weak Friday night start, though his fielders were no help, as the starter allowed ten runs, but only four earned. Despite their shortcomings in the field, Penn State’s bats battled throughout the whole game from down 10-0, all the way to a two-run game.

Unfortunately, a ninth-inning rally fell a couple of runs short, but it was clear in Friday night’s match that Penn State’s bats could compete with Rutgers.

How It Happened

Fitzgerald toed the slab for Penn State and fired in a strike for the first pitch of the weekend series. He allowed two runners to reach on a walk and hit by pitch, but produced outs in the field to escape with no runs allowed.

Jayden Davis led things in the bottom half of the first, and he reached on an infield single, but Michael Anderson and Bryce Molinaro were put down looking, and a fly-out wrapped the inning up for Zack Konstantinovsk.

The lead-off man for Rutgers reached again with a single, but Fitzgerald collected a three-pitch strikeout, and once again found a few outs in the field to hold the Scarlet Knights scoreless through two.

Though Rutgers poses a weaker opponent, Fitzgerald finally looked like the Friday starter Coach Mike Gambino had asked for in the portal.

Konstantinovsk faced four Nittany Lions in the second, with the help of a graceful double-play. Penn State threatened with runners on first and second and one out, but Preston Yaucher ripped a line drive into right field that was caught, and doubled-up Maddox McDonald.

The Scarlet Knights brought the momentum into the third, as Tristan Salinas reached on a fielding error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a leaky single up the middle by Jack Sweeney. Sweeny crossed home after moving to second on a single by a sacrifice bunt that Fitzgerald mishandled, allowing runners to advance to second and third.

Following a mound visit by the pitching coach, Fitzgerald produced a ground ball that Spencer Barnett errantly threw home. A bunt single loaded the bases, and then another single through the right side brought two runners in, giving Rutgers a 5-0 lead with no outs.

Chase Krewson laid a bunt down for a single, and a groundout advanced him, allowing another run to come in. Krewson scored on a single into center, as did another runner, and Sweeney launched a two-run home run to extend Rutgers’ lead to 10-0.

With a fresh basepath, Fitzgerald produced two groundballs and finally ended the inning.

Penn State was retired in order, all by way of the “K” as Konstantinovsk struck all three hitters out.

Mason Horwat relieved Fitzgerald in the fourth and allowed Rutgers to add to their lead. The first Scarlet Knight reached on an error, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a single.

The Penn State bats woke up, finally, in the fourth. Barnett poked a single through the left side, and Jack Porter kept his hands back on an 0-2 curveball, launching it the other way for a two-run home run.

Kevin Karstetter kept the train moving with a first-pitch double into the right-center gap. However, Konstantinovsk struck out the next three Nittany Lions at the plate, with two of them striking out on just three pitches.

Horwat’s evening ended on the bench, and Frankie Sanchez relieved him in the fifth. He collected a strikeout on the first batter he faced, but allowed Sweeney’s second home run of the evening. Two batters later, Matt Chatelle went deep to left-center field, and gave Rutgers a 13-2 lead.

The bats stayed hot for the Nittany Lions as three of the first four batters reached, loading the bases for Porter. Porter knocked a single through the left side, scoring one, and Karstetter did the same up the middle a few pitches later.

McDonald brought both runners in with a two-out double down the line, and Penn State cut the deficit to seven runs.

Sanchez collected a strikeout on the way to Penn State’s first clean inning of the evening.

Konstantinovsk’s night ended in the fifth, and Joe Mazza replaced him. Mazza allowed the first two hitters, Davis and Anderson, to reach base, but struck out Molinaro and Porter swinging two keep Penn State off the board.

In his third inning of work, Sanchez produced two fly outs and a strikeout, for the second consecutive clean inning.

As for Mazza, his inning was dirtier. Karstetter led off with a double, but Mazza got two groundouts to help himself. However, Yaucher rolled a groundball through the 5-6 hole, scoring Karstetter and bringing the deficit to six.

Despite not striking out any Scarlet Knights, Sanchez threw a five pitch eight inning, retiring the first two batters he faced on balls hit to his center fielder, Maddox McDonald, on the first pitch.

Molinaro, still hitless in Friday’s game, led off in the eighth. He struck out looking in eight pitches, but Barnett and Porter followed his at-bat with singles. However, the Nittany Lions couldn’t push either across as Karstetter struck out and Smith popped out in foul territory.

In for Sanchez was Ethan Bauerschmidt, and the freshman found three easy outs in only six pitches, helping shift the momentum into Penn State’s favor.

In their last chance to strike, McDonald punched a single up the middle, and Yaucher and Davis did the same, loading the bases for Anderson. The Big Ten home run leader worked a an RBI-walk, and Molinaro followed it up with a seven pitch walk of his own.

Rutgers brought in a new reliever who struck out Barnett for the first out of the inning. However, Porter knocked a run in on a single, and Karstetter traded a run for an out on his fielder’s choice, bringing the hitless-Smith to the plate as the game-winning run.

Smith popped up to first base on the fourth pitch he saw, ending the game 13-11.

Takeaways

• Bunt defense continues to be a problem for Penn State, as two mishandled bunts by Colin Fitzgerald led to an eight-run third inning. Had Fitzgerald made a good throw to first, and Avery Smith been able to make a timely throw on two bunts, Penn State would have made it out of the third with only a pair of runs across.
• Colin Fitzgerald has not been the guy Penn State expected from the portal. He’s allowed 5+ runs in three of his last four starts, and entered today’s game, in which he allowed ten runs, with a 6.56 ERA. He’s only made it to six innings in two starts, and both of those he allowed 3+ runs in.
• Frankie Sanchez provided four huge innings of relief, allowing only a pair of runs to cross in his first inning of work, but none after. He worked three consecutive clean innings, one of which only ran him five pitches. After consecutive appearances of 5+ earned runs, Sanchez has limited damage across 1+ innings to only two runs or less in three consecutive appearances.
• The Nittany Lions battled, forcing Rutgers to use relief pitchers they would have preferred to stay in their back pocket for the remaining games. Penn State may not have won, but it was another showing of relentless strength, despite a heavy deficit.

What’s Next?

Penn State baseball continues its weekend series, Saturday, April 18, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park against Rutgers, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on BTN+.