Penn State suffered a series sweep to Illinois the last time the two squads met. However, it was a different start this season as the Nittany Lions kicked off their third Big Ten series with a 9-8 win over the Fighting Illini.
Despite earning 13 hits in the game, the blue and white weren’t able to spark a comeback for the second-straight game. Penn State dropped the second game of the series in mercy-rule fashion, 16-5.
Ben Hudson got the start in Game 2 against the Fighting Illini. The Medford, New Jersey, native last pitched against Purdue, in which he managed to strike out three batters and only allowed one earned run.
Signs of the first game between the two teams showed early after Illinois started the game with four runs. Both AJ Putty and Kyle Schupmann singled in a run. Will Johannes followed the pair of singles with a double that scored two additional runs. Hudson managed to get out of the inning with a strikeout.
Down once again in the bottom of the first, the Penn State offense needed to mount another early comeback. The Nittany Lions had to wait for any sort of fight back after a one-out single from Michael Anderson led to an inning-ending double play from Jack Porter.
The Fighting Illini used the top half of the second to add a run to their lead. Jack Zebig hit a sacrifice fly out to center field, scoring J.R. Nelson.
The bottom half of the lineup produced the first two runs of the game for Penn State in the second. Avery Smith singled in Spencer Barnett, followed by a Maddox McDonald RBI single.
Illinois scored a run in its third-straight inning. A fastball from Hudson got away from Smith and scored Collin Jennings from third.
After a scoreless bottom third inning from the Nittany Lions, Frankie Sanchez was brought into the game in relief for Hudson. The Kendall Park, New Jersey, native earned two quick outs before giving up back-to-back home runs. A grand slam from Jennings, followed by a Schupmann solo shot, gave Illinois a commanding 11-2 lead in the fourth.
Sanchez was pulled following a quiet inning from Penn State. Ethan Bauerschmidt took his place. The freshman righty began his eighth outing, retiring the Fighting Illini in order.
Molinaro woke the scoring up for the Nittany Lions after he hit a three-run home run with two outs in the fifth. The Drums, Pennsylvania, native has eight RBIs in his last five games.
Illinois poured on five more runs in the sixth. After giving up a ground-rule double with bases loaded, Bauerschmidt was pulled for Skip Shenosky. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native immediately let up a double into left field, scoring two runs. The Nittany Lions finally got out of the inning with a groundout.
Penn State remained quiet on offense after Illinois pulled starter Regan Hall for Oliver Martel. Being down 16-5 after the sixth inning, the Nittany Lions were three outs away from a mercy-rule loss.
The Nittany Lions kept the Fighting Illini off the scoreboard in the top half of the seventh, only needing two runs to stay in the game.
Following McDonald’s walk, Justin Turcovski flew out to end the game.
Up Next
Penn State concludes its conference series against Illinois tomorrow at 11 a.m.
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