Penn State Baseball Game Grades vs Binghamton
On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions gave the Bearcats a good old-fashioned beatdown at Medlar Field. Binghamton scored the game's first run; from then on, it was all Penn State.
The Nittany Lions defeated the 2022 America East conference champions 15-1 and are rolling and had a ton of momentum coming into this season after making a decent run in the Big Ten tournament in 2022. If they can continue their stellar play, this would be a massive step in the right direction for Big Ten baseball
Infield: A
The combination of Jay Harry, Kyle Hannon, Anthony Steele, and Ben Kailher combined to go 5-for-10 with two doubles, two home runs and four stolen bases. This unit was firing on all cylinders and has been the catalyst in the lineup for Nittany Lions during their early season success.
After hitting just four round-trippers last season, Hannon has smashed five over the wall in 2023, including three in his last five games. The junior second baseman made great strides in the offseason and is now arguably Penn State's most reliable offensive weapon.
Harry can be penciled in for a knock or two every night and looks like he's playing in the 1930s when he's doing with his patented no batting gloves look, bringing back memories of baseball in its purest form. His current slash line of .314/.402/.557 is outstanding, and he's making a push for the All-Conference team.
The only blemish on the infield was an error committed by Kailher in the fourth inning that amounted to nothing.
Outfield: B
Center fielder Johnny Piacentino has been consistently mashing this season, and it was no different in this game. Against the Bearcats, he went two-for-five with two RBI, and his veteran presence and leadership abilities are felt in the lineup.
On the other side, right fielder Billy Gerlott's struggles continued on Tuesday. The Auburn, Pa native is just 1 for 11 over his last four games, including a disappointing 0 for 3 in this contest, as his batting average has dropped a whopping 63 points.
Left fielder Tayven Kelly picked up the slack for Penn State as he drove in three runs on the day and reached base twice. Kelly did get sent down on strikes twice in the contest, but any day with three RBI is a good day.
Pitching: A-
The manager will be satisfied when your pitching staff only allows one run in a game. Penn State sent five men to the hill on Tuesday, and each succeeded.
Starter Ben DeMell went 3 2/3 innings allowing six hits and the lone run of the game for Binghamton. Ryan Partridge finished off the fourth inning and completed the fifth on his own after walking two and working his way out of trouble.
Connor Throneberry, Kellan Tullio and Anthony Steele kept the Binghamton offense in check, and the bullpen held the Bearcats scoreless while scattering five hits over 5 1/3 innings.
The Bench: A+
In a blowout like this, it's not uncommon to say many pinch-hit appearances; there were five in this one. The bench went 6 for 8, including a two-for-two day at the dish for CJ Pittaro, who came in for Bobby Marsh in the seventh.
Derek Cease and Ty Torti picked up base hits in their lone at-bats, and Jake Cooper went one-for-two in his sixth appearance of the year.
This performance by the bench shows how deep this Penn State team is, and if any injuries happen, the guys waiting in the wings can pick up the slack.
John Colavita is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrc6383@psu.edu.
