Nittany Lions rout Hoosiers 15-9 in Game 1 of the Big Ten opener

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State third baseman Bryce Molinaro mashed two home runs, including a grand slam, as the Nittany Lions defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 15-9 in the Big Ten conference opener on Friday.

Indiana catcher T.J. Schuyler got the action started in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to right field.

Penn State designated hitter Jack Porter responded in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run of his own, directed to left field.

The Hoosiers retook the lead in the top of the third inning with a Jake Hanley two-run RBI double to make it a 3-1 game.

It was all Nittany Lions after that, with crooked numbers in the fourth (six runs) and fifth (seven runs) innings, leading to 15 unanswered runs.

Nittany Lions’ third baseman Bryce Molinaro then hit his first home run of the season in the form of a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning.

Porter continued his great performance with an RBI single, driving in first baseman Cole Wagner in the third. Left fielder Jesse Jaconski then drove Porter home on an RBI double to deep center field.

The onslaught continued in the bottom of the fourth inning. The action kicked off with a Jack Porter RBI single that brought in third baseman Bryce Molinaro.

The Nittany Lions continued with two straight bases-loaded walks. After a pitching change for Indiana, Paxton Kling ended his hitless streak of 16 at-bats with a grand slam to center field.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan DeSanto left the game after four innings for Penn State, striking out nine batters.

The Nittany Lions tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to Bryce Molinaro’s second home run of the game to make it a 15-3 lead.

Hoosier left fielder Devin Taylor cut the deficit to 11 with a solo home run to center field in the top of the seventh inning.

Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Ben DeMell pitched 2.1 innings in relief for the Nittany Lions, allowing only one run.

Hoosier catcher Cooper Malamazian drove in two runs on an RBI double to make it a 15-6 deficit in the top of the seventh.

Shortstop Tyler Cerny hit an RBI double to cut the Penn State lead to eight in the top of the seventh.

Hogan Denny cut into the lead even further to six with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth.

The Nittany Lion pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and eight walks.

The Penn State offense did not need their speed in this game, stealing only one base. Their power was on display with four home runs (two by Bryce Molinaro).

The Nittany Lions extended their winning streak to nine, their longest since 2000. They improved to 10-1, their best start since 1977.

Penn State is now 1-0 in Big Ten conference play, and they have snapped their two-game losing streak to Indiana dating back to April 13, 2024.

Bryan Portney is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.