The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions needed to win Wednesday's game against the No. 5 Washington Huskies in order to be able to advance to the Big Ten semifinals.
The Nittany Lions delivered, defeating the Huskies by a score of 5-3 in their Big Ten Tournament opener. With the current format favoring the highest seeds of each pool in the tournament in the case of a one-win tiebreaker, Penn State needs to win both of its games this week. They're now halfway there.
The Nittany Lions started off the game with a much-needed RBI single from left fielder Jesse Jaconski, scoring center fielder Paxton Kling from second base in the top of the first.
Both offenses went dormant for a long time, which was expected in what was to be a pitcher's duel on paper. Washington right-handed pitcher Max Banks went into the game with a 7-3 record and a sub-4.00 ERA, and Penn State left-handed pitcher complemented that with a 7-2 record and 69 strikeouts of his own.
Washington was able to put some runners on base in the early frames, but it would be Penn State who would finally crack first after a long scoreless bout. The Nittany Lions put three runs on the board to add to their lead, thanks in part to a sacrifice fly from third baseman Bryce Molinaro that scored two. Kling showed off his speed by scoring all the way from second base on the play.
The Huskies attempted to crawl back with a two-run home run and an RBI single from left fielder A.J. Guerrero, but it was not enough as their rally would fall short by two runs.
What this means for the Nittany Lions
With the win over Washington, Penn State now remains in contention for advancing to the Big Ten semifinals. No. 1 Oregon and No. 8 Nebraska both have a chance to win Pool A, and the winner of that game on Friday would face the winner of Penn State and USC on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions will take on the USC Trojans on Thursday, May 22, with the first pitch being thrown out at 3 p.m. ET