Philly Leader

The University of Pennsylvania baseball team faced a challenging game against No. 21 Troy, resulting in an 11-1 defeat in seven innings on Friday evening at Riddle-Pace Field. The Quakers, who started strong with a first-pitch home run by Connor Chavez, were unable to maintain their momentum. This loss brings Penn's season record to 0-4, while the Trojans improved to 9-1 with their sixth consecutive win.

Chavez's homer marked the fourth of his career and his first this season. Nick Spaventa was notable for being the only Quaker with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Ryan Taylor continued his hitting streak, securing a hit in each of the four games this year after going 1-for-2 on Friday.

Starting pitcher Josh Katz (0-2) struggled, allowing six runs on seven hits over three innings. Noah Millikan also faced difficulties from the bullpen, giving up five runs on five hits and four walks over 3.1 innings but managed to strike out five Trojans.

Penn initially took a lead with Chavez's home run but was quickly overtaken as Troy scored six runs in the next three innings. Despite two hits in the fourth inning from Spaventa and Gavin Degnan, Penn left three runners stranded. Troy extended their lead with additional runs in the sixth and seventh innings, ultimately enforcing a run rule for an 11-1 victory.

The series continues Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, with live streaming available on ESPN+.

For updates on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, or visit PennAthletics.com.