UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State baseball team came out on top, 3-1, in Friday’s series opener against USC at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Ryan DeSanto tossed seven strong innings before the Nittany Lions took the lead in the eighth. Paxton Kling tied the game with a solo homer in the seventh. Penn State moved to 22-10 overall (10-6 Big Ten), while USC dropped to 21-12 overall (9-7 Big Ten).

Penn State won its fourth-straight Big Ten game and is off to its best 16-game start in Big Ten play since 2007 (11-5).

The Nittany Lions are now 8-1 in weekend/series openers this season.

Ryan DeSanto made his ninth start of the season for the Nittany Lions, firing seven strong innings. He allowed just one run on three hits and one walk. DeSanto posted seven strikeouts, including multiple strikeouts in the first and seventh innings. He retired 14-straight between the 3rd and 7th innings.

DeSanto has allowed one or less run in three of his six starts against Big Ten opponents this season and posted back-to-back 1-run starts (at Minnesota, vs. USC).

Dimond Loosli threw two shutout innings to pick up the win. He retired all six batters he faced, including two strikeouts.

Caden Hunter got the start for USC, tossing seven innings. He gave up one run on four hits, while walking one and striking out nine. He notched multiple strikeouts in three of his seven innings. Brodie Purcell worked two-thirds of an inning. He was charged with two runs (unearned) and four walks. Sax Matson got the final out of the eighth.

Penn State recorded three runs on three hits and five walks. Paxton Kling launched his 12th homer of the year, a solo shot, and added an RBI on a sac fly. Jesse Jaconski contributed two hits.

Without reaching base against USC, Jack Porter snapped a 30-game reached-base streak, dating back to February 15 against Stetson.

USC tallied one run on four hits. Ethan Hedges had a single and an RBI, while Abbrie Covarrubias had a triple, among two hits, and scored a run.

USC got on the board in the third. Covarrubias chopped a grounder along the third base line and beat the throw for an infield single. Richard Tejada was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A bunt single by Brayden Dowd loaded the bases. Hedges held off on a 3-2 pitch for a walk to allow Covarrubias to score. USC led 1-0.

Penn State tied the game in the seventh. Leading off the inning, Kling blasted a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right. Kling’s 355-foot homer evened the game at 1-1.

PSU took the lead in the eighth. Jaconski held off on a 3-2 pitch to work a leadoff walk. Pinch-runner Mike Lucarelli moved up to second on a sac bunt by Joe Jaconski. After a walk by Nate Voss, a throwing error on a pickoff play moved the runners to second and third. Cohl Mercado chopped a grounder on the right side, which was misplayed to allow Lucarelli to score. Ryan Weingartner drew a walk to load the bases. Kling lifted a fly ball to right for a sac fly as pinch-runner Joey DeMucci crossed the plate. Penn State led 3-1.

The Nittany Lions continue the series with USC on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., featuring postgame fireworks.

The series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. and includes a White Out, encouraging fans to wear white, postgame autographs, a trading card set giveaway and postgame kids run the bases.