LEXINGTON, Va. – The Penn State baseball team took both games of a doubleheader against Longwood on Saturday at VMI’s Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium, earning an 11-1 win in eight innings in game one and a 10-0 victory in seven innings in game two. Both games were run-rule victories. Penn State improved to 4-1 on the season, while launching six homers across the two games.
In game one, the Nittany Lions were boosted by a two-homer effort by Paxton Kling and three hits by Cohl Mercado. On the mound, Ryan DeSanto fired four innings, allowing one run and striking out eight.
In game two, Penn State launched four homers with one each by Jesse Jaconski, Kling, Nate Voss and Ryan Weingartner. Mason Horwat threw six shutout innings.
The Nittany Lions conclude the series against Longwood on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a broadcast on ESPN+.
The 2025 Penn State Baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
Game 1
Ryan DeSanto got the start for the Nittany Lions. He fired four strong innings, allowing one run on two hits. DeSanto recorded eight strikeouts, while not walking a batter. He struck out two batters in the first, three in the second and two in the third, while not giving up a hit through the first two innings.
Harrison Lollin tossed two shutout innings in his collegiate debut. He retired all six batters he faced, including a strikeout. Chase Renner threw a scoreless inning and collected two strikeouts. Riley Weatherwax struck out two in a scoreless frame in his PSU debut.
Alex Elges started for Longwood, tossing five innings. He gave up seven runs on six hits. Elges posted three strikeouts and three walks. Ethan Plesser worked 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out two. Isaiah Brewington gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. Wyatt Bunch got the last two outs of the eighth.
Penn State tallied 11 runs on 10 hits. Paxton Kling led the attack with two homers, including a three-run shot, and four RBI. Cohl Mercado added three hits, a steal and two runs, while Bryce Molinaro collected two hits, including a double, two runs and two steals.
Kling is the first Nittany Lion with two homers in a game since Bryce Molinaro against Rutgers on May 10, 2024. It was also Kling’s first career two-homer game.
Longwood registered a run on two hits. Myles Webb had an RBI single and Juice Tobin recorded a base knock.
The Nittany Lions plated two runs in the first inning. Ryan Weingartner and Molinaro worked walks to put two runners on with two outs. Cole Wagner ripped a single to center to bring home Weingartner. Back-to-back wild pitches allowed Molinaro to cross the plate. PSU led 2-0.
Penn State extended its lead in the second. With two outs, Mercado bounced a single through the right side. He stole second before Kling lifted a fly ball to left-center, which carried over the wall for a two-run blast. Kling’s 359-foot homer gave PSU a 4-0 advantage.
Longwood answered with a run in the third. Tobin led off the inning with a single to right. He stole second before moving to third on a wild pitch. A bloop single into right by Webb drove in Tobin. PSU led 4-1.
Penn State responded in the fourth. Patrick Graham started the inning with a walk before Mercado singled to center. Kling lifted a fly ball over the wall in center for a three-run homer. The 395-foot dinger pushed PSU’s lead to 7-1.
The Nittany Lions added two runs in the seventh. Joe Jaconski began the frame with a double to the gap in right-center. Wagner and Jack Porter were hit by pitches to load the bases. A fly ball to right by Matt Maloney resulted in a sac fly as Jaconski crossed the plate. A wild pitch allowed Wagner to score to extend PSU’s lead to 9-1.
Penn State plated two runs in the eighth. With one-out, Derek Cease reached on a pinch-hit single. Molinaro followed with a double into the left-field corner as Cease hustled home. After a walk by Wagner and a double-steal, Molinaro scored on a sac fly by Porter. PSU led 11-1.
Game 2
Mason Horwat took the mound for Penn State, tossing six shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and three walks, while striking out five. Only one baserunner reached third base while Horwat was on the mound.
He has started the season with 11 scoreless innings across two starts.
Matt Morash fired a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Guillermo Garcia got the start for Longwood, going five innings and allowing six runs on seven hits. Garcia recorded four strikeouts and one walk. Alex Strickland gave up four runs on five hits over 1.2 innings. Kaiden Takahashi-Trader got the final out of the seventh.
Penn State collected 10 runs on 12 hits. Paxton Kling and Ryan Weingartner each recorded a solo homer and a double, while scoring two runs. Jesse Jaconski added two hits, including a two-run homer, and scored two runs. Nate Voss launched a three-run homer, while Jack Porter had two hits, including a double, and scored twice. Joe Jaconski registered a triple and a run.
Longwood posted two hits. Jae’dan Cqrter and Jayson Nash each had a double.
The Nittany Lions took the lead in the top of the third. With one out, Kling launched a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left. The 360-foot blast gave PSU a 1-0 advantage.
Penn State extended its lead in the fourth. Porter ripped a one-out double off the wall in center. Two batters later, Jesse Jaconski blasted a 1-0 pitch over the wall in center. The 396-foot shot put PSU ahead, 3-0.
The Nittany Lions added three runs in the fifth. Kling was hit by a pitch to begin the frame. Weingartner doubled off the wall in left to put runners on second and third. A wild pitch allowed Kling to score and a walk by Joe Jaconski put runners on the corners. Bryce Molinaro chopped a grounder on the left side as Weingartner beat the throw home. Porter was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Nate Voss lifted a fly ball to left for a sac fly as Jaconski hustled home. PSU led 6-0.
Penn State pushed its lead to seven on a solo homer by Weingartner in the sixth. The junior’s second homer of the year went 412 feet.
The Nittany Lions added three runs in the seventh. After Porter was hit by a pitch, Nate Voss blasted a two-run homer to left. Jesse Jaconski followed with a bunt single and scored on a double to right-center by Cohl Mercado. Penn State led 10-0.