Nittany Lions drop season opener to Monmouth

Penn State fell 3-1 to Monmouth in its season opener at the USA Baseball Complex Tournament on Friday.

The Hawks got on the board in the third inning when Justin Trochiano led off with a double and scored on a single by Shaine Hughes. Monmouth pushed its lead to 3-0 on a pair of RBI groundouts in the fourth.

Conlin Hughes drove in Penn State’s lone run on a single in the bottom of the fourth. Hughes, Jim Haley and Nick Riotto each had two hits for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State starting pitcher Taylor Lehman took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. Lehman struck out five and walked two.

Monmouth’s Frank Trimarco allowed one run and five hits in six innings to earn the win. Ben Hoffman threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the save.

The Nittany Lions (0-1) are set for a doubleheader against Army West Point on Saturday. The first game starts at 1:30 p.m.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Nittany Lions drop season opener to Monmouth."