CARY, N.C – LHP Dante Biasi (Hazleton, Pa.) and RHP Mason Mellott (State College, Pa.) combined to hold Monmouth scoreless and Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Penn State a 1-0 victory in its baseball season opener Friday afternoon at the USA Baseball National Training Center.
Catcher Shea Sbranti (Oakley, Calif.) led the decisive ninth off by getting hit by a pitch in an 1-2 count, and he advanced to third on an errant throw following a Connor Klemann (Royersford, Pa.) bunt attempt. Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) pinch-ran for Sbranti and Monmouth went to the bullpen. RHP Stephen Aldrich was able to pick up a strikeout, but walked Bowersox to load the bases. LHP Kyle Ajjan then took over to face Sloniger, but he plunked him to force home the winning run.
The game was a pitchers' duel. Biasi went five innings for Penn State, striking out four and allowing just three hits and two walks, while Mellott (1-0) earned his first career win with four near-perfect innings and one strikeout, with only two base runners reaching on errors.
RHP Dan Klepchick went 6.2 innings for the Hawks, striking out six and allowing just three hits and a walk. LHP Ryan Lillie (0-1) allowed a hit 1.1 innings of relief, but plunked Sbranti and was tagged with the loss.
Sbranti was one of four Nittany Lions to tally a hit. Designated Parker Hendershot (Barton, N.Y.), right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.) and second baseman Gavin Homer (Battlle Creek, Mich.) – playing his first game as a Nittany Lion – also singled.
Penn State continues the series with Monmouth at 1 p.m. Saturday and concludes it starting at 11 a.m. Sunday.
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NOTES: The shutout was Penn State's first since April 30, 2016, when it blanked Maryland, 2-0 … The shutout was Penn State's first away from home since defeating Army, 11-0, on Feb. 20, 2016, also at the USA Baseball NTC … The shutout was Penn State's first in a season-opener since defeating Lehigh, 6-0, on April 4, 1977 … Penn State improved to 3-3 in season openers during head coach Rob Cooper's tenure and has won its last two season openers.
