Penn State falls behind early, responds with offensive explosion to take series against UMass Lowell

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The barrels were hot as Penn State’s offense exploded late in the game to lift the Nittany Lions to a 21-14 series finale win against the UMass Lowell River Hawks.

It was a beautiful day for baseball on Saturday afternoon as the rubber match between the Nittany Lions and River Hawks started with a bang.

Jaden Henline took the mound for Penn State and would soon feel the pressure as the River Hawks scored nine runs in the first inning.

Henline wouldn’t finish the inning as his appearance would last 0.2 IP, allowing 10 hits, nine runs and registering one strikeout.

The Nittany Lions would have to ride the bullpen for the rest of the contest.

The nine-run deficit was attacked early in the bottom of the first as the lineup went to work. Doubles by Bryce Molinaro and Billy Gerlott helped get Penn State within three.

UMass Lowell’s Alex Luccini was a thorn in the Nittany Lions’ side yet again in this game as he had four hits in five at-bats including two doubles, a home run and five RBIs.

Penn State limited further damage throughout the game, using six pitchers in total. Connor Throneberry went three innings, getting the bulk of the work compared to the other arms used.

“It’s time of possession, right? You just gotta get your offense back on the field. He just got us back to the dugout,” head coach Mike Gambino said.

Throneberry went three innings, allowing one run on two hits. He made quick work of the River Hawks’ batters only needing 36 pitches to get through those innings.

“I tried keeping hitters off-balanced, spinning the ball well and just living in the strike zone,” Throneberry said.

His efforts allowed the bats to chip away at the 13-8 deficit Penn State faced going into the late innings.

The Nittany Lions turned the game upside down with 13 combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings, nine of which came in the eighth.

Bobby Marsh hit a big double to left-center field that tied the game. He would finish the day with four hits and three RBIs.

The biggest at-bat came from Tayven Kelley who ripped a ball into left field that allowed Penn State to get its first lead of the game with a two-run single.

That was Kelley’s lone plate appearance of the afternoon.

Other big contributors for the offense include J.T. Marr who registered four hits with three RBIs, Billy Gerlott who had three hits with a pair of RBIs and Joe Jaconski who had four RBIs.

The Nittany Lions wouldn’t let up, scoring 21 runs on the River Hawks after digging themselves a deep hole early in the game.

“I think toughness, I think belief and I think grit were a couple of things that I saw from the group today, which I was really proud of,” Gambino said, complimenting the team’s ability to handle adversity.

No matter how much the Nittany Lions trailed, the team never showed signs of giving up.

“There’s a word we like going to as an easy way to sum it up. I think it played well with us. ‘I am because we are,’” Gambino said, referencing the togetherness the group shares.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.