Lions trounce Lafayette, 20-12

UNIVERSITY PARK — On April 6, Penn State men’s baseball destroyed Lafayette College, 20-12, in a slugfest non-conference road game at Kamine Stadium. The win extended the Nittany Lions’ season-high winning streak to eight.

Penn State has won 12 of 14 games overall and the current winning streak is the Nittany Lions’ longest in 16 years. In 2000, the NCAA Super Regional team also strung together eight victories in a row.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson finished off the game, coming into the ninth inning in relief of Nick Distasio and setting a Penn State record by making his 86th career pitching appearance.

Right fielder Nick Riotto and catcher Ryan Sloniger each had four RBIs and totaled six runs.

In the second, Riotto hit an RBI single to left field, which scored Sloniger.

Penn State exploded for nine runs in the third inning, where the floodgates opened and put the game out of hand early. It proved to be a long day for the Leopards’ pitching staff.

Sloniger had three of his four RBIs in the third inning, when he smacked a three-run double to left, plating Jordan Bowersox, Keith Leavitt and Connor Klemann.

Riotto clubbed a three-run homer to right field in the Penn State fourth inning, bringing home Sloniger and Leavitt.

Distasio (2-0) earned the victory, allowing four runs on five hits and fanning seven Lafayette batters.

The Nittany Lions bashed out 16 hits in the game.