ORLANDO – A seven-run seventh inning, highlighted by a Gavin Homer (Battle Creek, Mich.) grand slam, powered Penn State to a series-clinching win over UCF, 11-5, in non-conference baseball action Sunday afternoon in John Euliano Park.
Penn State improved to 9-3 on the season, taking two of three over the weekend from UCF (10-5), which was one of the first four teams left out of last season's NCAA Tournament. The start is Penn State's best since opening the 1980 season at 10-2.
The Nittany Lions were trailing UCF, 3-2, entering the seventh inning Sunday and RHP Garrett Westberg (2-1) retired the first two batters and had catcher Ryan Sloniger (Punxsutawney, Pa.) in an 0-2 count, but Sloniger slapped a single up the middle, starting a run of seven-straight Lions to reach base, with five facing two strike counts. Left fielder Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) followed with a base hit, and UCF went to its bullpen. Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) then worked a full count walk to load the bases, and shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) was hit by a pitch in a full count to force the tying run home. Designated hitter Mac Hippenhammer (Fort Wayne, Ind.) drew another full-count walk to force home the go-ahead run, setting the stage for Homer.
Homer worked a full count, as well, but was swinging and connected on a deep shot over the left field wall for an 8-3 lead. Centerfielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) followed with a home run as well for a 9-3 lead.
RHP Mason Mellott (3-0) (State College, Pa.) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on three hits after entering in the sixth.
Kremer and Bowersox were Penn State's leading hitters, with Kremer tallying his second four-hit game of the trip and Bowersox tallying three hits to raise his season average to .378.
Both teams scored two runs each in the ninth inning for the final margin.
The Knights held an advantage early.
UCF scored a run each in the second and fourth innings for an early 2-0 lead. In the second, a hit batsman proved costly after a base hit and error allowed him to score, and a similar script played out in the fourth, with catcher Dallas Beaver driving in a run on a groundout.
Penn State got on the board in the fifth inning, manufacturing a run after Bowersox led off the frame with a single up the middle. Bowersox advanced a base each on ground outs, then scored from third on an infield single Sloniger managed to beat out.
The Nittany Lions tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, as Nadeau pinch-hit and homered over the right field wall. However, strong two-out hitting in the bottom half put UCF back on top, as second baseman Matthew Mika blooped a single to right, and Beaver drove him home with a double to the right field corner.
The lead was short-lived though as Penn State rallied in the very next frame.
Both starting pitchers were effective. RHP Conor Larkin (Royersford, Pa.) went four innings for Penn State, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and two hit batsmen with no walks and three strikeouts. RHP Trevor Holloway went 5.1 innings for UCF, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Penn State will next return home and then travel to face Pitt Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Penn State opens its home slate Mar. 15 and tickets are on sale online by clicking here or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.
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NOTES: Bowersox extended his hitting streak to five games … Homer's grand slam was Penn State's first since Sloniger hit one against NJIT on Mar. 18, 2018 … Homer and Bowersox's back-to-back home runs were Penn State's first since Bowersox and Christian Helsel went back-to-back at Pitt on Apr. 5, 2017.
