In its last Big Ten game of the regular season, Penn State looked to complete a series sweep against Rutgers on Sunday and extend its conference win streak to four games.
The Nittany Lions couldn’t get the sweep, however, as they dropped the final game of the series 9-6.
Third baseman Bryce Molinaro put the blue and white up early against the Scarlet Knights’ starter Zach Gleason. Molinaro blasted a two-run homer to left to put Penn State up 2-0.
Mason Butash took the mound for the blue and white, with an ERA of 7.28 and a 3-1 record. He came in struggling to find the strike zone, and Rutgers countered the Nittany Lions’ early score with a two-RBI single from JT Thompson to tie the game.
Gleason and Butash both stood firm with scoreless frames in the second before Rutgers’ starter was pulled in third following a leadoff walk.
Now facing freshman Jack Kirchner, Penn State retook the lead via a sac fly from Joe Jaconski to score Molinaro. After another walk, Kirchner was pulled for Ryan Bradley, who allowed Jesse Jaconski to score on a wild pitch.
Soon after, redshirt freshman Mike Lucarelli walked with the bases loaded, making the score 5-2 Penn State in the top of the third.
Peyton Bonds answered back for Rutgers in the bottom half of the third with an RBI single to trim the Nittany Lions’ lead down to 5-3.
After the blue and white loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, Bradley was pulled for Andrew Rondini, who got out of the jam unscathed.
Senior Anthony Steele took the mound for the blue and white, but gave up an RBI-single to Brennan Hyde, reducing Penn State’s lead to 5-4.
Rondini pitched a scoreless top of the fifth, allowing Rutgers to take the lead in the bottom half off of a wild pitch and a sacrifice groundout.
Penn State couldn’t answer in the top of the sixth, going down in order and leaving the score 6-5 Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights followed with a two-out rally off an RBI single from Bonds and junior Trevor Cohen stealing home, which extended their lead to 8-5.
Matthew Cruz took the mound for Rutgers in the top of the seventh, and the freshman held blue and white to another scoreless inning. Will Andrews followed with a dominant frame of his own for the blue and white.
After a zero on the board for Penn State in the top half of the frame, Bonds added to the Scarlet Knights’ lead in the eighth inning with a solo shot to right, making the score 9-5.
The Nittany Lions had one more chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Paxton Kling reached first on an error while the bases were loaded, giving Penn State one run back.
The blue and white couldn’t create any more runs, however, as Quinn Berglin closed out the win for the Scarlet Knights with a strike out of Molinaro, sending Penn State home without the sweep.
Up Next
The Nittany Lions take on Pitt at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
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