Philly Leader

The University of Pennsylvania baseball team faced a tough defeat against No. 9 Florida State, falling short in their comeback attempt with a final score of 5-3 at Dick Howser Stadium. This loss marked the third consecutive defeat for the Quakers, leaving them winless at the start of the 2025 season, while Florida State remains undefeated with a record of 7-0.

Despite trailing by five runs after four innings, Penn made efforts to close the gap. Jarrett Pokrovsky returned from an injury suffered last April and recorded his first hit and RBI since then, going 1-for-3 at the plate. Ryan Taylor extended his hitting streak to four games, batting .444 across three games this season.

Starting pitcher Will Tobin took the loss after allowing three earned runs on five hits over 1.1 innings. The Penn bullpen was instrumental in containing further damage, giving up only one earned run over the final five innings. Jake Moss delivered 2.1 innings with two strikeouts, while Sebastian Haggard made his collegiate debut with 2.1 shutout innings and three strikeouts.

Florida State quickly established control in the game, taking a first-inning lead with back-to-back hits that resulted in two runs. They extended their advantage to 4-0 by adding two more runs in the second inning through a single and fielder's choice.

Penn broke into the scoreboard during the fifth inning when Pokrovsky doubled down the left-field line, bringing Ahearn home for their first run of the game. In subsequent innings, Collins singled to deep right field to score Baker and narrow FSU's lead to 5-2.

The Quakers had opportunities but were unable to capitalize fully as they entered the ninth inning trailing by three runs. Although Collins managed to score another run through a fielder's choice play, Cole McGonigal struck out swinging as Florida State completed their series sweep.

Looking ahead, Penn will travel south again next weekend for a three-game series against No. 24 Troy in Alabama.