UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Designated hitter Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) and third baseman Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) went a combined 5-for-7 with four RBIs, four runs and 12 total bases to lead Penn State past Youngstown State, 6-1, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Guers hit his second home run of the season and also tripled and singled to finish a double shy of the cycle at 3-for-4. He matched his career high of three hits for the fifth time in his career, and matched his career high of eight total bases for the second time. Haley reached base three times doubling and walking. The No. 3 (Haley) and No. 4 (Guers) hitters in the lineup drove in two runs apiece and both scored twice to lead the Penn State (11-12) offense.
Freshman RHP Eli Nabholz (1-0) (Pottsville, Pa.) earned his first career win in his third career start, allowing one run on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings of work. RHP Dakota Forsyth (1) (Bethel Park, Pa.) earned his first save since 2014 by pitching the final four innings and limiting Youngstown State (5-16) to just two hits and a walk.
Penn State took command of the game with a four-run third inning.
LHP Collin Floyd (1-4) racked up six strikeouts in the first two innings for the Penguins but was unable to get an out in the third. Shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) led the frame off by poking a base hit through the right side, and then Floyd plunked right fielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) before Haley rocketed a base-clearing double to the wall in left field. Guers then bunted for a base hit and stole second and first baseman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) followed with a single to center to score Haley and advance Guers. Centerfielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) hit into a double play, but Guers was able to score on the play for a 4-0 lead.
Nabholz allowed two runners in scoring position in the first inning with just one out, but retired the next nine. The Penguins made the most of a two-out walk in the fifth though for their first and only run. Centerfielder Lorenzo Arcuri drew a free pass and then stole second, and he scored from second on a bloop single to left by second baseman Billy Salem.
Salem paced YSU with two of its four hits on the evening.
Guers promptly restored the four-run lead in the bottom half though, leading it off with a home run over the right field wall. He then tripled off the wall with a shot to the right gap in the seventh to score Haley from first for the final margin.
Penn State will continue its homestand Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. against Binghamton.
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