Penn State baseball falls to Rutgers in soggy start to series

Penn State baseball traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, to kick off its penultimate Big Ten road series of the season this weekend against Rutgers. Winners of five of their last seven games, the Nittany Lions were looking to keep the momentum going to close the season. However, it appeared that Penn State couldn’t shake off the multitude of rain delays on Friday night, losing 8-1 in a soggy start to the three-game series. 

Rutgers routs Lions

This game was practically all Rutgers. After taking an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Scarlet Knights knocked in a pair of RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings to go up 4-0. A grand slam in the sixth then gave Rutgers a commanding 8-0 lead.

Penn State baseball then mustered a single run via an RBI double from Johnny Piacentino in the seventh, making the score 8-1. With the double, Piacentino’s active hitting streak was increased to thirteen games.

With that hit, Piacentino extends his hit streak to 13 games.#WeAre https://t.co/mPW8NF8x3J

— Penn State Baseball (@PennStateBASE) May 6, 2023

Ultimately, Penn State was sent home with a disappointing 8-1 defeat. Jordan Morales picked up his first loss of the season, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out five.  

What does this loss mean for Penn State baseball?

After this loss, Penn State baseball falls to 6-9 in conference play. With only two more series against Big Ten opponents remaining after this one, the Lions need to find a way to win both. Doing so would help put Penn State in the heart of the Big Ten standings and get a potential bid to the Big Ten tournament, which is only open to the top eight teams in the conference make. 

After finishing this series, the Lions’ next conference matchup against Nebraska is on the road. Penn State will then wrap up Big Ten play against Maryland back in State College. But before that, the Lions need to salvage this current series in Game 2 against Rutgers on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm. Stay tuned to Basic Blues Nation for results.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!