The Penn State baseball team lost to Rutgers 13-11 in the series opener at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on April 17. The Nittany Lions mounted a late comeback, scoring four runs in the fifth inning, one in the seventh, and four more in the ninth, but ended with the tying run left on first base.
This game matters as it reflects Penn State’s ongoing efforts to improve its record within Big Ten conference play. The loss drops Penn State’s overall record to 10-25 and their conference record to 4-12. Rutgers improved its standing with an overall record of 19-19 and a Big Ten mark of 6-10.
Due to forecasted rain, Saturday’s game has been rescheduled for a 1 p.m. start time. The Nittany Lion pitching staff retired the final thirteen Rutgers batters, giving their offense an opportunity for a comeback that ultimately fell short.
Colin Fitzgerald started for Penn State and allowed ten runs (four earned) over three innings. Mason Horwat pitched one inning with one unearned run allowed. Frankie Sanchez contributed four innings while holding Rutgers scoreless over his last three frames. Ethan Bauerschmidt finished with a perfect inning.
Offensively, Penn State recorded eleven runs on twenty-one hits—its highest total since March against UMass Lowell and most in a Big Ten contest since May 2021 versus Michigan State. Jayden Davis, Kevin Karstetter, and Jack Porter each had four hits; Porter also hit a two-run home run and added two RBI singles.
Rutgers scored thirteen runs on eleven hits led by Jack Sweeney’s three-hit performance that included two home runs and four RBI.
The series continues Saturday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with special promotions including Ice Cream Day and postgame autographs scheduled.
