Penn State Baseball Holds Off Rutgers Comeback, 14-13.
Penn State baseball (11-26, 5-13 Big Ten) outlasted Rutgers (20-20, 7-11 Big Ten) with a 14-13 win on Sunday afternoon at Medlar Field for the Nittany Lions’ Birthday Celebration Game.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to an early lead and padded it with three consecutive home runs in the fourth inning. Coupled with a long-overdue quality start from Isaiah Shayer, Rutgers was in mercy-rule territory in the seventh inning.
But Penn State’s bullpen faltered, allowing the Scarlet Knights to launch a comeback, scoring eleven runs in the final three innings to cut the lead to one run. The Nittany Lions’ last reliever, Kyle Emmons, staved off any more damage in the ninth and secured a save for Penn State.
How It Happened
Shayter started Sunday afternoon’s birthday celebration game and, despite walking the first batter, pitched a scoreless inning and collected the first strikeout of the afternoon.
For Rutgers’ starter Dallin Harrison, Penn State’s top of the order went down easily. He put Michael Anderson down looking, on a rather controversial call, and found two quicker outs on balls in play.
Following Shayter’s rather quick second inning, the Nittany Lions’ bats got to work. Spencer Barnett ripped a lead-off double off the center-field wall, and Jack Porter drew a four-pitch pass to first base. Kevin Karstetter loaded the bases with a two-strike single up the middle, but Harrison bared down by getting Maddox McDonald swinging, and Joey DeMucci to produce an unproductive out.
With two outs and the bases loaded, freshman Preston Yaucher had a chance to make an early impact. Yaucher went down 0-2 early, but got a fastball two pitches later and ripped it through the 5-6 hole for a two-RBI single.
Shayter needed to keep the momentum on their side, and he almost surrendered it by walking the first batter and letting him advance to third. However, the right-hander picked up his third strikeout and kept Rutgers at bay with an inning-ending groundout.
His offense showed appreciation by extending the lead by three more runs. Penn State led off with a double again, this time by Anderson, and Bryce Molinaro roped a much-needed RBI-double to the gap. He was plated two batters later on Jack Porter’s two-run home run to the left field scoreboard.
Rutgers responded with a two-run home run of its own in the fourth, off the bat of Matt Chatelle. Shayter still collected his fourth strikeout and limited the damage to just two runs.
Down 5-2, the Scarlet Knights needed a clean inning to swing the momentum in their favor. Jack Kirchner got the ball out of the bullpen and allowed a pair of singles to start. Anderson plated both runners, as well as himself, with a three-run jack to center field.
Molinaro and Barnett wanted in on the action and made it back-to-back-to-back home runs in the fourth, and Penn State extended its lead, 10-2.
Rutgers needed its third pitcher of the inning, Matthew Cruz, to escape.
Dimond Loosli took over for Shayter in the fifth, ending his day with 4 IP, 2 ER, and 4 punchouts. Loosli got some help from a few web gems to post a scoreless frame, including McDonald’s leaping grab and Karstetter’s excellent pick at first.
Molinaro put Rutgers into mercy-rule territory with his second home run of the afternoon, this time a two-run shot, plating Jayden Davis, who reached on a walk.
Henry Radbill relieved Cruz in the fifth, and his first batter, Spencer Barnett, stretched a single into a double, which turned out to be costly as Rutgers’ left fielder dropped a fly-ball, which allowed Barnett to score.
The error cost Rutgers another run on McDonald’s single, but Chatelle caught him stealing to wrap up the fifth.
Mason Butash took the mound in the sixth and posted a clean inning, facing the minimum for Penn State, by producing a double play ground ball.
For Rutgers, Finn Haines had the sixth inning, and he only allowed a single Nittany Lion to reach. Haines pitched the first scoreless frame for Rutgers since the first inning.
Entering the seventh, down 12 runs, the Scarlet Knights needed three runs to keep the game going. After the lead-off man popped up, the next two hitters singled into the outfield grass, and Tristan Salinas hustled out an infield single.
With the bases loaded, Jack Sweeney popped up to left field, but the wind knocked it around, and it fell for an RBI single. Julius Rosado kept Rutgers in business with a bases-clearing triple, cutting the deficit to 14-6.
Ben DeMell relieved Butash and allowed Rosado to score on a groundout. DeMell gave up a pair of singles to the next two hitters, and Trey Wells launched a deep fly ball down the left field line that was reviewed and upheld as a foul ball.
Nonetheless, Wells punched a triple into the right field corner, and Penn State’s lead only stood at five runs. DeMell punched out Chase Krewson for the final out of the top half.
Haines faced four Nittany Lions in the seventh, striking out Molinaro and walking Porter, but getting two fly outs to the outfield.
DeMell did not come back out for the eighth, and Harrison Lollin took the mound to put an end to Rutgers’ comeback. But Ryan Jaros had other plans, jumping on a 2-2 pitch for a solo home run to left. The Scarlet Knights plated two more runs before Mike Gambino brought in Kyle Emmons for Lollin.
Emmons needed three pitches to record the third out.
Penn State needed to pad its lead for the final inning, and McDonald and DeMucci helped get the ball rolling with a pair of singles. Davis reached on an error following Yaucher’s failed bunt attempt, which loaded the bases for Anderson.
Anderson ripped a ground ball, doubling himself up and ending the inning.
Emmons got the ninth against the bottom of Rutgers’ order. He surrendered a lead-off home run to Wells, and then a single to Krewson, but recorded three straight outs to seal the game for Penn State, 14-13.
Takeaways
- Isaiah Shayter tossed a bounce-back outing worth four innings and only two runs a week after he made it through just a single inning against Ohio State. Shayter’s control still seems to be an issue, as he allowed three walks on 69 pitches and 37 strikes. Only one of the batters he walked scored.
- Michael Anderson launched his 16th home run of the year in the fourth, kickstarting a five-run inning, which included back-to-back-to-back home runs. With Sunday’s home run, Anderson has hit a long ball in every Big Ten series Penn State has played this season. He will only need four more to break Penn State’s single-season home run record.
- Bryce Molinaro’s 10th and 11th home runs of the season in the fourth made him one of two Nittany Lions in program history to hit 10+ home runs in three separate seasons. He continues to climb the program’s all-time home run leaderboard with 35 home runs, placing him second all-time.
- After allowing four runs in Saturday’s close match, Penn State’s bullpen allowed 11 runs through five innings. Mason Butash allowed five of them, and a combination of three other relievers was necessary to get through the remaining two and two-thirds innings.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions will continue their homestand as Bucknell visits on Tuesday, April 21, for Dollar Dog Night at Medlar Field. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
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