Northwestern
7-10, 0-2
Penn State (DH)
14-3, 4-1
Liolios Hits Four Homers as Wildcats Split Doubleheader with Penn State
3/16/2025 11:10:00 AM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Trent Liolios hit four home runs over both games of a doubleheader as Northwestern split a pair with Penn State on Saturday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
Penn State got on the board first in game one with a pair in the top of the first, scoring first on a double steal and adding on with an RBI single by INF Ryan Weingartner to take an early 2-0 lead.
Northwestern responded immediately with a big inning in the bottom of the first. With two runners on, INF Trent Liolios hit his first home run of the day putting the 'Cats in front 3-2. Later that inning, C Bennett Markinson doubled down the right field line, scoring UTL Tyler Ganus and INF Jack Counsell to put Northwestern up 5-2.
In the top of the fifth, Penn State evened the score with three runs on a pair of homers to make it 5-5. The Nittany Lions took a 9-5 lead with four runs on three hits and three walks in the top of the seventh and added another in the ninth to extend their advantage to 10-5.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, OF Jack Lausch doubled to right-center, scoring a pair to make it 10-7, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of OF Preston Knott. Knott's flyout to deep right field, feet away from tying the game, gave the Nittany Lions the win in game one.
RHP Matthew Kouser got the start, allowing five runs six hits, striking out one, walking four, and hitting three batters in 4.2 innings pitched. LHP Alex Grant (0-2) is credited with the loss, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks in 1.0 inning of work. RHP Jack Grunkemeyer tossed 3.1 strong innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and fanning four. All three pitchers for the Wildcats in Saturday's game one are first-years.
Northwestern grabbed an early lead in game two, drawing first blood with a run in the bottom of the third. C Bennett Markinson tripled to lead off the inning and came around to score on an RBI groundout by OF Preston Knott, putting the 'Cats up 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Trent Liolios went deep for his second homer of the day, putting NU up 2-0.
PSU responded, scoring five runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers by INF Bryce Molinaro and UTL Jack Porter, in the top of the sixth inning to seize a 5-2 lead.
The 'Cats got a pair back quickly in the bottom half of the inning, first trimming the gap with another solo home run by Liolios, his second of the game and third of the day. Next batter, Counsell tripled and came around to score on an RBI groundout by UTL Ethan Borggren for Borggren's first career RBI to cut the deficit to one.
The Wildcats put up a crooked number in the bottom of the seventh with eight runs to take a commanding 12-5 lead. After the first three batters reached on a pair of hit by pitches and a walk, OF Jackson Freeman put the 'Cats on top with an RBI single through the right side, scoring Knott and C Joshua Ramos. Next batter, INF Ryan Kucherak homered to left-center, his second homer of the season to extend the lead to 9-5. Following a single by Liolios and a walk by Counsell, OF Zach Carlson logged his first career RBI and first career extra-base hit with a two-run double. Carlson came around to score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by INF Owen McElfatrick to bring the lead to 12-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Liolios slugged his third long ball of the game and fourth homer of the day, putting Northwestern up 13-5 and capping off the scoring for the game.
RHP Sam Hliboki is credited with a no-decision, surrendering five runs on 10 hits in 6.0 innings pitched. LHP Blake MacMillan (1-0) earned the win with 3.0 shutout innings in relief, fanning three and allowing just two hits.
Game Notes
- Across both games, Liolios went 7-for-9 with four home runs, six RBI, and five runs.
- Liolios is the first Wildcat with three home runs in a game since INF Anthony Calarco did so in a 16-14 win at Illinois on March 27, 2021.
- Liolios is the only Big Ten player with three home runs in a game this season.
- Liolios is the first player to hit three home runs in a Big Ten Conference game since Drake Westcott hit three home runs against Michigan State on May 6, 2023.
- Liolios is the eighth player with three or more home runs in a game nationally this season.
- The game marks Liolios' second multi-homer game of the season, homering twice in a 6-2 win at Long Beach State on February 15.
Northwestern returns to action with a three-game series next weekend against Illinois at Miller Park. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. CT, with Saturday and Sunday's games scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Butash, Mason (1-0)
L: Grant, Alex (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Kling, Paxton 1 ; Porter, Jack 1 ; Maloney, Matt 1
HR: Kling, Paxton 1 ; Porter, Jack 1 ; Jaconski, Jesse 1
RBI: Kling, Paxton 1 ; Molinaro, Bryce 2 ; Porter, Jack 2 ; Wagner, Cole 1 ; Jaconski, Jesse 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Mercado, Cohl 1 ; Weingartner, Ryan 2 ; Kling, Paxton 1 ; Molinaro, Bryce 1 ; Jaconski, Joe 2 ; Porter, Jack 1 ; Wagner, Cole 1 ; Jaconski, Jesse 1
SB: Mercado, Cohl 1 ; Weingartner, Ryan 2 ; Wagner, Cole 1 ; Jaconski, Jesse 1
HBP: Mercado, Cohl 1 ; Jaconski, Joe 1 ; Maloney, Matt 1
Batting:
2B: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Liolios, Trent 1 ; Bianchina, Vince 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
HR: Liolios, Trent 1
RBI: Liolios, Trent 3 ; Markinson, Bennett 2 ; Lausch, Jack 2
Base Running:
RUNS: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Liolios, Trent 1 ; Counsell, Jack 1 ; Bianchina, Vince 1 ; Ganus, Tyler 1
HBP: Counsell, Jack 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
