The Nittany Lions’ season is approaching its climax, although it’s been mostly catastrophic, especially on the road.
Staring one final series in the face, away against Maryland, Penn State needed all three wins to make a push for the Big Ten Tournament.
The trend of road woes flipped in Penn State’s opener against the Terrapins, which started with a 13-3 win. The blue and white rose to 4-18 away from home on the year, taking advantage of a Maryland squad, which stood tied at the bottom of the Big Ten standings entering the clash.
For Penn State, coach Mike Gambino gave the pivotal start to righty Colin Fitzgerald, who, over 12 starts, posted a 6.45 ERA before stepping onto the bump. Going against the redshirt senior, and making the start for Maryland was righty redshirt junior James Gladden, who made his first start this season after making 13 relief appearances, which were rather harsh and left him with a 7.94 ERA.
Gladden’s start began as the stat line would suggest, with eight straight balls. Penn State struck first shortly after, with a ball hit to the warning track by third baseman Bryce Molinaro that almost carried out of the park with the heavy winds in Maryland, which still scored a sacrifice fly.
Cleanup bat and first baseman Kevin Karstetter choked up on a pitch from Gladden and sent a dribbling grounder to shortstop, which couldn’t be scooped up cleanly and allowed another run. Maryland ended the early threat via a double play soon after.
In the Terrapins’ first time up, Fitzgerald limited the harm to a single and a stolen base by star third baseman Brayden Martin.
After limited action, Maryland was stuck in the home half of the second, as Fitzgerald’s own control problems emerged. A leadoff 2-0 count led to a single, which only worsened when the runner advanced on a wild pitch. The Terrapins got on the board after Paul Jones II knocked an RBI single.
Penn State got a pair of outs, but not after a walk and a single loaded the bases. With two outs and the jam presented to him, Fitzgerald faced Martin and axed Maryland’s momentum.
The Terrapins turned to lefty Landon Edwards in the third inning. The leadoff batter, designated hitter Michael Anderson, got hit on the foot and stole second base, although that small ball became moot. Right fielder Jesse Jaconski knocked the first hit of the game, a two-out towering homer that carried deep left center, and pushed Penn State ahead 4-1.
The Terrapins generated their first real offensive production in the home half, after a leadoff single, second baseman David Mendez smashed a one-out home run to cut the score to 4-3. Fitzgerald notched back-to-back punchouts to bounce back and end the frame, which brought up the Penn State bats.
Catcher Avery Smith worked a leadoff walk, and centerfielder Maddox McDonald brought him home with his first dinger as a Nittany Lion, immediately undoing Maryland’s work at the plate.
Edwards was done on the mound after that, with righty Andrew Koshy entering for Maryland, but he immediately suffered a single by shortstop Preston Yaucher, marking Penn State’s first hit of the game that wasn’t a home run.
Penn State got back into its power-hitting ways, with Anderson launching a no-doubt-about-it home run, his 20th of the season, which marked a new program record. The round-tripper pushed him to the lone No. 2 in the Big Ten in long shots, only trailing top MLB Draft prospect Roch Cholowsky. That would be the extent of the action with the bats, as Penn State led 8-3.
Fitzgerald continued his work as his pitch count exceeded 90, and a loaded bases jam ended his day, which was brought on primarily by two walks. Righty Ben DeMell picked up the load with two outs and navigated to a full-count strikeout.
The top of the fifth started with a walk and a single by Penn State, with one scoring when McDonald launched a ball into the gap for a double. Yaucher got on base via a fielder’s choice followed by a walk, which loaded them up for Anderson. The slugger ripped a single through the left side of the infield to score two and push Penn State closer to a run-rule win.
Molinaro ripped a double over the left fielder’s head to keep the runs coming. After one scored, a second attempted the journey home but was narrowly caught out on a play that was sent to the review booth. After an eventful top of the fifth, Penn State led 12-3.
DeMell allowed two runners, but no runs, with two strikeouts, as Penn State inched closer to the win. Ryan Bailey took over on the mound for Maryland and allowed a double to the first batter he faced, Karstetter. The Nittany Lions pulled off a tricky baserunning play on an attempted steal to second to plate Karstetter, and went ahead 13-3.
Mason Horwat got the call to take over on the mound and worked a scoreless frame, which prompted Maryland to make its own pitching change, with Quinn Yellin entering. Penn State worked a pair of baserunners, but couldn’t send either of them home, as regardless only a half inning separated it from victory.
Horwat ended the Terrapins’ last batting chances, only allowing a pair of walks.
With the result, the Nittany Lions now stand at 15-34 on the season, with Big Ten Tournament hopes still alive.
Up next
The blue and white continue against Maryland with Game 2 of the series tomorrow, with the same first pitch time of 6 p.m. The action can be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
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