CHARLESTON, S.C. – Penn State broke open a tie game with six runs in the sixth inning– including a three-run error on a dropped fly ball – to hand Charleston Southern an 18-6 loss in the series finale on Sunday at CSU Ballpark. 

The Nittany Lions took advantage of four CSU errors and 10 walks to pick up their first win of the season. Penn State improves to 1-8, while CSU falls to 7-5. 

Down 6-5, CSU reliever Joe Pistacchio appeared to be out of trouble with the bases loaded in the sixth, but Bucs' left fielder Jack Crittenberger had a fly ball  float over his head, opening the floodgates for Penn State. Three runs scored on the error as PSU pushed its lead to 9-5. A wild pitch and a throwing error by catcher Sam Remick scored two more runs as PSU pulled away.

Penn State's Aaron Novak would add a two-run home run as PSU scored 13 times in its final four at-bats to put the game out of reach. 

The Bucs tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth when Ryan Maxsim reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch. Andrew Widell drove home Nate Blanchard on a sacrifice fly and Cole Murphy drew a bases-loaded walk to knot the game, but Marko Boricich got Chase Shelton  to ground out to end the threat ahead of the Lions' big inning.

Maxsim also had a two-run single in the second inning as the Bucs built an early 2-1 lead. Sly Edwards hit his first home run as a Buccaneer, lining a solo shot to right field in the eighth.  

Novak led the Lions' 15-hit attack. He was 4-for-5 with a 2-run home run and eight RBI. 

Maxsim and Murphy both had two hits for the Bucs. 

Reliever Kyle McDorman (LP, 1-1) took the loss for CSU.

CSU returns to CSU Ballpark on Tuesday to face USC Upstate at 6 p.m.

-CSU-