Tag: Lafayette Leopards

Penn State basketball wins charity exhibition game vs. Lafayette

Ace Baldwin Jr. helped fuel a second-half run to help Penn State pull away from Lafayette in an exhibition win.

The start of the new college basketball season is just about here, and the Penn State Nittany Lions are looking to surprise many this year. The second season under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag] unofficially got underway Friday night with a charity exhibition game against Lafayette on the campus of Lebanon Valley College, Rhoades’ alma mater. Penn State came out on top of the Leopards by a final score of 79-64 with [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] scoring 11 points, nine assists and two steals.

Penn State was led by [autotag]Yanic Konan Niederhauser[/autotag]’s 15-point night, which also included five rebounds and four blocks. [autotag]D’Marco Dunn[/autotag] added 13 points and hit all three of his three-point attempts.

Penn State jumped out to an early lead before Lafayette cut things down to a one-point game but the Nittany Lions went on an 11-0 run fueled by a [autotag]Puff Johnson[/autotag] three-pointer. Penn State led 38-31 at halftime and used a 22-9 run led by Baldwin Jr’s three-point shooting to pull away in the second half for the exhibition win.

Penn State is expected by many in the Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the conference this season. The Nittany Lions, in their first year under Rhoades, went 16-17 last season, with a Big Ten record of 9-11. Penn State won its first-round matchup in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament against Michigan before dropping a close game against Indiana in the second round. After their Big Ten exit, Penn State did not play in a postseason tournament.

Penn State men’s basketball officially begins its 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov. 4 with a home game against Binghampton in the Bryce Jordan Center.

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Oregon puts Leopards in a tough spot with doubleheader sweep

Oregon completed a doubleheader sweep from Lafayette and will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon.

The Oregon Ducks baseball team keeps rolling as they just completed a doubleheader sweep over Lafayette.

After easily taking the first game 15-3, the Ducks had to work a little harder in the nightcap but came away with the 7-4 win. The  Ducks improved to 5-1 overall this year and the Leopards are still without a victory at 0-6.

Michael Freund earned the win in relief and while it wasn’t a save situation, Logan Mercado pitched the ninth and he made it interesting. He walked four, including a run, but whiffed the final two batters to end the game.

Oregon jumped on Lafayette in the bottom of the second with two runs on a Ryan Cooney single and later on a fielding error.

The Ducks added a run in the third Jeffrey Heard on his solo homerun to make it 3-0.

Starting pitching Toby Twist threw four scoreless innings and a combination of three relievers out of the bullpen held off the Leopards. They cut the 4-0 deficit to 4-2, but Oregon added three insurance runs in the seventh thanks to a fielding error and another Heard double.

Game 1

Oregon pounded Lafayette 15-3 in the doubleheader opener thanks to three home runs, two coming off the bat of Justin Cassella. He nearly blasted four homers, but the Leopard centerfielder Easton Brenner made two outstanding catches at the wall.

The Ducks had 13 hits and six batters were plunked. Cassella drove in five runs and Jacob Walsh also drove in five, including a two-run shot that was his 25th career home run.

While the offense was doing its thing, starting pitcher Grayson Grinsell dominated. The left-hander whiffed 10 batters in his four innings of work. Reliever Ryan Featherson threw four innings and was credited with the win.

Oregon moved to 4-1 on the season and Lafayette is still searching for its first win of the season.

Oregon routs Lafayette in 2024 home opener at PK Park

Oregon baseball had an easy time of it in its home opener with a 17-3 rout over Lafayette at PK Park.

Perhaps the worst thing Lafayette could have done was to hit a home run in the top of the first because that solo blast woke the Oregon Ducks baseball team up.

The Ducks answered with three homers of their own en route to a 17-3 win over the Leopards in the 2024 home opener at PK Park. Oregon improved to 3-1 on the young season while Lafayette is still looking for its first victory on the year. They were swept at East Tennessee State last weekend and if this game was any indication, the Leopards are going to have a long stay in Eugene.

Drew Smith, Jacob Walsh and Ryan Cooney all smacked the ball out of the ballpark after the Ducks went homerless last weekend at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. The Ducks scored in every inning of the contest. Their biggest frame came in the first, third and fourth where the Ducks scored three runs in each of those innings.

Chase Meggers and Walsh drove in three runs and Jeffrey Heard added a double and a triple with two runs scored. Bennett Thompson also hit a double and triple.

On the mound, RJ Gordon earned his first win of the year as he went six innings, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out four.

These two teams have a quick turnaround with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 12 pm. Oregon and Lafayette will end the four-game series on Sunday with a single game also at noon.

Penn State vs. Lafayette men’s basketball: TV and stream info

Penn State basketball looks to remain undefeated at home when they host Lafayette on Friday. Here is how to watch.

Penn State is back home in the Bryce Jordan Center for some Thanksgiving weekend men’s basketball on Friday evening. The Nittany Lions have been strong performers at home early on this season and are coming off a third-place finish in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic as they welcome the Lafayette Leopards to State College. Penn State will be a heavy favorite in the matchup as the Nittany Lions look to improve to 6-1 this season.

Lafayette has been having the mirror opposite of Penn State’s success this season. The visiting team carries a 1-5 record as they visit Happy Valley and they are coming off a 74-68 overtime loss at home to the Penn Quakers. Lafayette has also lost games to Saint John’s, St. Joseph’s, and UMBC. Their lone win has come against Central Connecticut State. Leo Boyle and Kyle Jennings are setting the scoring pace for the Leopards, but they will be hard-pressed to keep things rolling enough to give Penn State much of a serious threat on Friday evening.

Here is how to catch the non-conference game live.