University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, April 24
11:00 AM
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Photo by: Bjorn Franke
Minnesota Falls 6-5 Sunday vs. Penn State
4/24/2022 2:10:00 PM | Baseball
PSU hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the eighth
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gophers baseball team fell in a 6-5 defeat against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday afternoon at Siebert Field.
Minnesota led 5-3 in the top of the eighth before Nittany Lions (17-20, 7-8 Big Ten) pinch-hitter Billy Gerlott hit a three-run home run on a full count to give the visitors a 6-5 advantage, which would end up being the final.
Redshirt junior right-hander Aidan Maldonado (1-3) struck out six and surrendered just four hits while giving up three runs (two earned) in a career-best 7.0 innings. The Gophers chased out Penn State starter Steven Miller (2-2) after just 2.2 innings after he gave up four earned runs and six hits.
Minnesota (11-26, 2-10 Big Ten) was paced offensively by Kyle Bork (3-for-5) and Brett Bateman (3-for-5). Bork laced a three-run home run, his third long ball of the season, in the bottom of the first. Andrew Wilhite also hit his third home run of the year with a solo shot in the fourth.
PSU started the scoring with a two-run top of the first. With one out, Jay Harry tripled down the right field line. He would score on a ground-rule double by No. 3 hitter Matt Wood. Wood would come around to score later in the inning on a throwing error by Gophers third baseman Jack Kelly.
The Gophers would answer back in the bottom of the frame with a four-spot. Bateman started off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a groundout by Boston Merila. A single up the middle by Kelly would bring around Bateman for Minnesota's first run. Brady Counsell singled as well to put two men on base before Bork blasted a three-run home run to left center.
Both teams were then held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Wilhite homered to left field, putting the home team up 5-2. The Nittany Lions got one back in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit back to two. A leadoff walk by Cole Bartels started the inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and then third on a flyout to right. He would tag and score when Wood flew out to deep center field in the next at bat, bringing the score to 5-3.
Freshman left-hander Noah Rooney came in to replace Maldonado to start the top of the eighth. After getting the first two hitters to ground out, Rooney walked the next two. He was then replaced by redshirt senior Josh Culliver, who gave up a three-run home run to pinch-hitter Billy Gerlott to give PSU its first lead of the day at 6-5.
Minnesota went down 1-2-3 in the eighth inning but provided a scare into the visitors in the ninth. Counsell singled to start the inning before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chase Stanke. After a flyout by Bork, Ronald Sweeny hit a ball to second base that was bobbled by the fielder, allowing Sweeny to reach base and Counsell to move to third. Drew Stahl struck out looking to end the game.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host South Dakota State on Tuesday and St. Thomas on Wednesday at Siebert Field. Both games will be on B1G+ at 6 p.m. CT.
Minnesota led 5-3 in the top of the eighth before Nittany Lions (17-20, 7-8 Big Ten) pinch-hitter Billy Gerlott hit a three-run home run on a full count to give the visitors a 6-5 advantage, which would end up being the final.
Redshirt junior right-hander Aidan Maldonado (1-3) struck out six and surrendered just four hits while giving up three runs (two earned) in a career-best 7.0 innings. The Gophers chased out Penn State starter Steven Miller (2-2) after just 2.2 innings after he gave up four earned runs and six hits.
Minnesota (11-26, 2-10 Big Ten) was paced offensively by Kyle Bork (3-for-5) and Brett Bateman (3-for-5). Bork laced a three-run home run, his third long ball of the season, in the bottom of the first. Andrew Wilhite also hit his third home run of the year with a solo shot in the fourth.
PSU started the scoring with a two-run top of the first. With one out, Jay Harry tripled down the right field line. He would score on a ground-rule double by No. 3 hitter Matt Wood. Wood would come around to score later in the inning on a throwing error by Gophers third baseman Jack Kelly.
The Gophers would answer back in the bottom of the frame with a four-spot. Bateman started off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a groundout by Boston Merila. A single up the middle by Kelly would bring around Bateman for Minnesota's first run. Brady Counsell singled as well to put two men on base before Bork blasted a three-run home run to left center.
Both teams were then held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Wilhite homered to left field, putting the home team up 5-2. The Nittany Lions got one back in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit back to two. A leadoff walk by Cole Bartels started the inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and then third on a flyout to right. He would tag and score when Wood flew out to deep center field in the next at bat, bringing the score to 5-3.
Freshman left-hander Noah Rooney came in to replace Maldonado to start the top of the eighth. After getting the first two hitters to ground out, Rooney walked the next two. He was then replaced by redshirt senior Josh Culliver, who gave up a three-run home run to pinch-hitter Billy Gerlott to give PSU its first lead of the day at 6-5.
Minnesota went down 1-2-3 in the eighth inning but provided a scare into the visitors in the ninth. Counsell singled to start the inning before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chase Stanke. After a flyout by Bork, Ronald Sweeny hit a ball to second base that was bobbled by the fielder, allowing Sweeny to reach base and Counsell to move to third. Drew Stahl struck out looking to end the game.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host South Dakota State on Tuesday and St. Thomas on Wednesday at Siebert Field. Both games will be on B1G+ at 6 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mellott, M. (2-4)
L: Culliver, Josh (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Wood, M. 1 ; Spiegel, J. 1
3B: Harry, J. 1
HR: Gerlott, B. 1
RBI: Wood, M. 2 ; Gerlott, B. 3
SF: Wood, M. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bartels, C. 1 ; Harry, J. 1 ; Wood, M. 1 ; Kailher, B. 1 ; Kelley, T. 1 ; Gerlott, B. 1
HBP: Spiegel, J. 1
Batting:
HR: Bork, Kyle 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
RBI: Kelly, Jack 1 ; Bork, Kyle 3 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
SH: Stanke, Chase 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Counsell, Brady 1 ; Bork, Kyle 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
SB: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Merila, Boston 1 ; Counsell, Brady 1 ; Sweeny, Ronald 1
HBP: Counsell, Brady 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
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H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
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LHP
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C
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