Penn State Wins Dramatic Doubleheader Over Fairfield

By Kenny Varner Jr.
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: February 25, 2019

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

CARY, N.C. – Clutch performances highlighted Penn State’s doubleheader wins over Fairfield on Sunday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. In the first game, the Nittany Lions rallied from a pair of one-run deficits to win 5-4, tying the game in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI-double from Kris Kremer (Hershey, Pa.) in an 0-2 count with two outs, and taking the win in the bottom of the 11^thon Gavin Homer’s (Battle Creek, Mich.) walk-off home run. In the second, RHP Cole Bartels (Belmont, Mass.) earned the save for a 6-5 win, pitching for the first time since the 2017 season.

Penn State improved to 5-0 on the season, marking its best start since opening the 1980 season at 8-0. Fairfield fell to 0-2 in its season debut.

Game 1

Penn State never led in the first game until Homer’s blast over the left field fence, but battled in the later innings, tying the game in the seventh and ninth innings before tying the game and scoring the game-winning run in the 11^th.

LHP Dante Biasi (Hazleton, Pa.) carried a no-hitter for Penn State through five innings, but shortstop Jack Gethings broke it up with a base-hit to right field to lead-off the sixth inning. First baseman Anthony Boselli, who went a game-high 3-for-5 in the game, then doubled to left field to drive Boselli home for a 1-0 Fairfield lead. Fairfield extended the lead to 2-0 in the seventh on an RBI-double by left fielder Tim Zeng.

Penn State tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, drawing three walks and a balk for the first run before designated hitter Shea Sbranti (Oakley, Calif.) hit a sacrifice fly for the second run.

Fairfield went ahead for a second time on an error in the top of the eighth, but in the bottom of the ninth in an 0-2 count with two outs, Kremer slugged a double into the right gap to drive home right fielder Curtis Robison (Dillsburg, Pa.) from first.

The 10^th inning was scoreless, but second baseman Justin Guerrera put the Stags in front for a third time with an RBI-double in the top of the 11th. Once again the Nittany Lions answered, with catcher Ryan Sloniger starting it off with a single.

Austin Riggins (Greer, S.C.) pinch-ran for Sloniger and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) Then with Robison up to bat, Riggins induced a balk with an aggressive lead off of second, putting him in position to score on a sacrifice fly from Robison.

With two down, and the bases empty, Homer ripped the first pitch he saw just foul of being a home run, but he was able to straighten it out on the second for the walk-off win.

RHP Conor Larkin (1-0) (Royersford, Pa.) earned the win in his season debut after working the ninth inning. Biasi went 5.1 innings in the start, striking out six and allowing the one run on two hits and three walks. RHP Mason Mellott (State College, Pa.) was strong in relief, going 4.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits.

Fairfield used six pitchers, led by starter RHP Austin Pope, who went 5.1 innings and struck out three, allowing four hits and a walk. RHP Ian Halpin (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with one strikeout.

Game 2

Penn State again rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the second game. All of the Nittany Lions’ scoring took place in the fifth and sixth innings with three runs each.

Leading off the bottom of the fifth, center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) singled and Robison doubled setting the table for Hughes to drive both home with a single up the middle to tie the game at 2-2. Hughes then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, allowing him to score on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.)

The Lions extended their lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with two hit batsmen and a walk. With one out, Robison singled to score two, and Hughes followed with another single to score one more.

Fairfield did not go quietly though, drawing a pair of walks off LHP Tyler Shingledecker (Huntersville, N.C.) to lead-off the top of the seventh before left fielder Giacomo Brancato hit a three-run home run over the left field fence. Shingledecker settled in to retire the next seven batters over the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, striking out four, but then hit a batter and gave up a single to Brancato to give the Stags runners on the corners with just one out.

Penn State tabbed Bartels (1), a redshirt freshman who missed last season with an injury and had not pitched in a game since May 6, 2017, to get it out of the jam. The first batter he faced watched three strikes, and then Bartles was able to get a swing in a full count from the second for his first career save.

RHP Bailey Dees (2-0) (Charlotte, N.C.) went six innings and struck out seven, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks.

Up Next

Penn State and Fairfield will complete the three-game series Monday starting at 11 a.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.

Follow Penn State baseball on Twitter and Instagram at @PennStateBASE and Facebook at /pennstatebaseball for all of the latest news and updates and behind the scenes action.

NOTES: Homer’s walk-off home run was Penn State’s first since Sean Deegan hit a three-run home run to overcome a two-run deficit against Ohio State on April 29, 2012 … Penn State’s five-game winning streak is its longest since winning six-straight games in 2016 … Jacob Padilla earned his first career NCAA Division I hit in Game 2.