Facing the Big Ten's top pitcher in Zach Putnam, the Penn State baseball team had an eighth-inning rally come up short in its 3-2 loss to Michigan on Friday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The Nittany Lions struck out 12 times against Putnam.

Penn State got a decent pitching performance by starter Seth Whitehill, who went 4.1 innings and allowed three runs. Reliever Paul Hawkins replaced Whitehill in the fifth and pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball.

Penn State will play Michigan in a doubleheader at 2:05 p.m. Saturday.