COLLEGE PARK, Md. – After a tight, extra-innings victory in game one, the Penn State baseball team exploded for eight runs in the ninth in game two to earn a doubleheader sweep over Maryland on Friday at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium. The Nittany Lions won 6-5 in 10 innings in game one and 19-7 in game two to complete a three-game sweep of the Terrapins. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season 26-23 overall and 12-12 in Big Ten play.
With the win, and Michigan State's loss to Nebraska, Penn State clinched a berth in the Big Ten Tournament, beginning on Tuesday, May 22 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
Penn State earned its first Big Ten road sweep since April 15-17, 2016 at Northwestern.
The Nittany Lions picked up its first series win over Maryland since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten and was the first Big Ten team to sweep Maryland in College Park since Michigan in 2019.
In game one, Marr recorded his 200th career hit with a single in the first inning. Bryce Molinaro crushed a solo homer and drove in two runs, while Anthony Steele and Mason Horwat combined for five shutout innings to end the game.
In game two, Penn State tallied 17 hits, including homers by Adam Cecere, Kyle Hannon and Kevin Michaels. Tayven Kelley added a career-high four hits, three RBI and three runs.
Marr had five hits on the day to bring his career total to 204.
On the season, Marr now has 85 hits, moving into third at Penn State. On the day, Marr jumped Jordan Steranka's 82 hits in 2012. He is seven behind Shawn Fagan's 92 hits in 2000.
As a team, Penn State now has 67 homers on the season after hitting five on Friday. It is Penn State's most in a season since its program-record 91 homers in 1998.
Adam Cecere (15), Grant Norris (14) and Bryce Molinaro (10) each have 10+ homers, giving Penn State three players with 10+ homers in a season for the first time since 1999 (Dan Beers, 13; Shawn Fagan, 13; Chris Netwall, 12; Eric Spadt, 10).
Cecere's 15 homers on the season are tied with Fagan's 15 in 2000 for fourth in a season at PSU, while Norris' 14 are sixth.
Marr finished the regular season with a .419 batting average, going 85-for-203 at the plate.
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The 2024 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Game One
Jaden Henline got the start for the Nittany Lions, going five innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits. The senior struck out four and did not walk a batter. Henline posted a 1-2-3 first inning, including two strikeouts.
Anthony Steele fired two scoreless frames. He gave up two hits and a walk, while striking out one. Mason Horwat tossed three shutout frames, allowing just one hit and two walks, and recorded one strikeout. Horwat worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning and got the game-ending strikeout in the 10th.
Logan Koester made the start for Maryland, tossing 6.2 innings. He gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits. Koester recorded five strikeouts and two walks. Kenny Lippman went 2.2 innings. He allowed one run (unearned) on two hits, while striking out four and walking two. Logan Berrier worked two-thirds of an inning and struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Penn State notched six runs on 12 hits. Bryce Molinaro launched a solo homer and drove in two runs. Kevin Michaels had two hits and scored a run, while J.T. Marr had two hits, an RBI and scored a run. Joe Jaconski had two hits and scored a run. Matt Maloney collected three hits.
Maryland scored five runs on 10 hits. Sam Hojnar had two homers and drove in three runs. Devin Russell added a solo homer, while Eddie Hacopian had two doubles and scored a run.
The Nittany Lions got on the board with two runs in the top of the first. Jaconski smacked the first pitch of the game through the middle for a single. Marr followed with a sharp grounder through the right side. Adam Cecere dropped down a bunt along the third base line and beat the throw to first. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed Jaconski to score. Molinaro bounced into a fielder's choice on the left side, which brought home Marr. Penn State led 2-0.
Maryland cut its deficit in the second. Leading off the inning, Hojnar lifted a 2-0 pitch to left, which carried just beyond the wall for a solo homer. PSU still led 2-1.
The Terrapins tied the game in the third. With one out, Brayden Martin reached on a bunt single. Two batters later, Chris Hacopian dropped a soft line drive into right-center for a single to put runners on the corners. A grounder by Hojnar was mishandled to allow Martin to score. The game was even at 2-2.
The Nittany Lions re-took the lead in the fourth. With one out, Molinaro drilled an 0-2 pitch over the wall in center. The line drive shot put PSU ahead, 3-2.
Maryland tied the game in the bottom half. With two outs, Russell blasted a 3-2 pitch over the wall in center. The game was even at 3-3.
Penn State added a run in the top of the fifth. Michaels reached on a one-out single to left-center. Jaconski followed with a line-drive single to center to put runners on the corners. Marr chopped a grounder along the right side to allow Michaels to score. Penn State led 4-3.
The Terrapins took the lead in the bottom half. Eddie Hacopian doubled down the left-field line to begin the frame. Two batters later, Hojnar blasted a fly ball over the wall in center. Maryland held a 5-4 lead.
The Nittany Lions re-tied the game in the seventh. Michaels led off the frame with an infield single. With two outs, Cecere held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk. A grounder to the right side by Bobby Marsh resulted in a throwing error as Michaels scored. The game was even at 5-5.
In the top of the 10th, Norris was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Two batters later, Tayven Kelley hooked a line drive into the left field corner to put runners on second and third. Michaels chopped a grounder down the third base line. A throwing error on the play allowed Norris to score. Penn State led 6-5.
Game Two
Frankie Sanchez made the start on the mound for the Nittany Lions, tossing 2.2 innings. He gave up four runs on three hits and two walks. Matt Morash fired 1.1 scoreless frames, striking out one and allowing one hit. Mason Butash went 2.1 frames, allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out two. Will Perkowski tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out three. Ben DeMell got the final three outs, while allowing one run and striking out three.
Evan Smith got the start for Maryland, going three innings. He gave up six runs on four hits and two walks. Smith registered three strikeouts. Andrew Johnson worked three innings, giving up three runs on two hits and three walks, while striking out four. Nate Haberthier threw one inning, allowing one run on two hits. Logan Ott gave up six runs on seven hits over one inning before Duke McCarron allowed three runs over an inning.
Penn State collected 19 runs on 17 hits. Tayven Kelley tallied a career-high four hits, including a double, three RBI and three runs. Kevin Michaels added two hits, including a double and a homer, and three RBI. Adam Cecere launched a three-run homer and scored twice, while J.T. Marr notched three hits, while driving in two runs and scoring two runs. Matt Maloney added a two-run double.
The Terrapins tallied seven runs on nine hits. Eddie Hacopian recorded three hits, including two homers, and four RBI. Brayden Martin registered two hits, including a homer, and scored twice. Ben Nardi added a solo homer.
Maryland jumped out to an early lead. Leading off the bottom of the first, Martin lifted a 3-2 pitch to left-center, which carried over the wall for a solo homer. The Terrapins led 1-0.
Penn State took the lead in the third. Kelley started the inning with a single through the middle. Two batters later, Michaels smoked an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left. The two-run shot gave PSU a 2-1 advantage.
Maryland re-took the lead in the bottom half. With one out, Elijah Lambros drew a walk. A single by Martin put runners on first and third. Eddie Hacopian smashed a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left for a three-run homer. Maryland led 4-2.
The Nittany Lions plated four in the fourth. Grant Norris sent a single through the middle to begin the frame. A walk by Bryce Molinaro and a hit-by-pitch by Bobby Marsh loaded the bases. Kelley drew a four-pitch walk to bring in Norris before Maloney was hit by a pitch to bring home Molinaro. After a pitching change, Michaels held off on a 3-1 pitch for a walk to plate Marsh. Two batters later, Marr lifted a fly ball to left for a sac fly as Kelley sprinted home. Penn State held a 6-4 lead.
Penn State extended its lead in the seventh. Marr started the inning with a single through the middle. Cecere and Norris walked to load the bases. Marsh ripped a single to right to bring home Marr and Cecere. After Marsh stole second, Kelley smacked a single to right-center to drive in Norris and Marsh. The Nittany Lions led 10-4.
The Terrapins cut their deficit in the bottom of the seventh. Leading off the inning, Ben Nardi sent a 1-0 pitch over the wall in center. The solo homer trimmed Penn State' lead to 10-5.
Penn State added a run in the eighth. Michaels lined a leadoff double to left. A grounder by Joe Jaconski moved pinch-runner Derek Cease to third. Marr followed with a single through the right side to drive in Cease. PSU pushed its lead to 11-5.
The Nittany Lions extended their lead in the ninth. Norris led off the frame with a double to right-center. Molinaro followed with a double off the top of the wall in center to put runners on second and third. Hannon blasted the first pitch he saw over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer. After Kelley's fourth hit of the day, a single to center, Maloney doubled to the warning track in right-center as Kelley hustled home. Cease singled to right before Jaconski lifted a sac fly to left to drive in Maloney. After a walk by Marr, Cecere blasted a three-run homer to center to put PSU ahead, 19-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, Eddie Hacopian hit a solo homer with two outs. After a walk by Chris Hacopian and a hit-by-pitch by Sam Hojnar, a single by Kevin Kiester drove in the final run of the game.
Bryce Molinaro, Adam Cecere celebrate