Penn State baseball continues its winning ways vs Delaware State

State College — After stopping a three-game skid on Thursday, the Penn State Nittany Lions took on Delaware State in the second game of a three-game series on Friday. Penn State baseball picked up where it left off the day before, defeating the Hornets 9-2. 

Strong pitching leads Penn State baseball past Delaware State

Penn State baseball started strong, with pitcher Jordan Morales pitching a quick 1-2-3 inning to open the game. The Hornets returned the favor in the home half of the first, retiring the Lions in order and keeping the game scoreless.

Penn State got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. After Josh Spiegel reached first on a single, Grant Norris crushed a two-run shot. Norris’s home run, his 12th and 13th RBIs in seven games, gave the Lions the 2-0 advantage. When asked after the game what led to the success at the plate, Norris attributed it to “working before practice and after practice” with Penn State’s hitting coaches

The Nittany Lions continued scoring in the second. After Bobby Marsh scored on an error, Jay Harry brought home two runners on a single to take an early 5-0 lead. 

GRANT NORRIS!!! He launches one over the batter's eye for a two-run homer! His 3rd of the year!

B2 | PSU 2, DSU 0#WeAre pic.twitter.com/7Oo54VMiwA

— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) April 7, 2023

Delaware State added its first run of the game in the third, but Kyle Hannon responded in the fourth inning to extend the Penn State lead to 6-1. After a Penn State error allowed the Hornets to cut the margin to four, the Lions answered with two runs in the fifth inning to make it an 8-2 game. Penn State baseball added a final run in the sixth inning before riding it out to earn the 9-2 victory. 

Hannon with an RBI single to extend his hit streak to 11! Kelley scores!

B4 | PSU 6, DSU 1#WeAre pic.twitter.com/KxpPXMfrfm

— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) April 7, 2023

Both Nittany Lion pitchers were a bright spot in this game. Morales pitched 4.2 innings, giving up one earned run. Morales credited the offense’s success as a major contributor to his performance, saying it gave him “a lot of comfort” and didn’t force him to “pitch perfect.” Travis Luensmann continued his strong season in relief, picking up the win on 4.1 innings pitched with seven strikeouts and no earned runs.

A step in the right direction

With the victory, Penn State baseball has won its first series since sweeping Georgetown in mid-March. After the game, head coach Rob Cooper said this win was “big,” and the team is “trying to build and get better.” He added that it’s been good to see what his team has done the last few days and that the dugout “felt the way it should” on Friday.

Break out the brooms

Penn State baseball looks to finish sweep of Delaware State in the series finale on Saturday. The Lions then host West Virginia on Tuesday (for yet another Dollar Dog Night) before returning to conference play.

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