| Brian Ernst went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in Penn State's 12-6 win over Duquesne. Five Penn State players had multiple hits in the win. The Nittany Lions will next take on Michigan State in weekend series, beginning on Friday at 3:00 p.m. |
University Park, Pa.; April 12, 2006 - The Penn State baseball team pounded out 16 hits and scored in six of its eight innings at bat to defeat Duquesne 12-6 on Wednesday afternoon at Beaver Field. The Nittany Lions improve to 9-21 with the win, their eighth straight win over the Dukes. Paul Hawkins picked up the win on the mound for the Lions after throwing a career high three innings of relief and allowing just one hit.
Penn State scored four in the first inning, and two in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings. In the first, Brian Ernst, who went 3-for-3 with a walk, led off with a single. He went to third when Duquesne left fielder Corey Bugno dropped Matt Cavagnaro's fly ball, sending him to second. Scott Gummo drew a walk to load the bases and that was followed by two more walks to Lance Thompson and Jim Leitgeb, driving in the first two runs. After an out, Cory Wine lifted a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the inning and Aaron Greenfield followed with his first hit since March 10th, an RBI single to left to make it 4-0.
Duquesne (7-23) would get two runs back in the second off Penn State starter Seth Whitehill as the Dukes loaded the bases on a single and two hit batsmen. A single by Alex Sharick and a sacrifice fly by Joe Berletic produced the two runs to make it 4-2.
In the second, Ernst led off with his second hit of the day and Cavagnaro, who was 3-for-5, followed with a bunt single. The bases were loaded again when Gummo was hit by a pitch. Gummo would be plunked once more in the game, giving him five hit by pitches in his last four games. One run scored on a fielder's choice by Thompson and Leitgeb lifted a sacrifice fly to score Cavagnaro.
Two more runs scored in the third on a throwing error by the Duquesne catcher and on an RBI single by Cavagnaro. Both scored with two outs. In the fourth, Scott Gaffney led off with a single and stole second and scored on Wine's RBI single. Wine later came around to scored when Gummo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Hawkins pitched the third, fourth and fifth innings for the Nittany Lions, facing just one batter above the minimum. He struck out a career high three. The Dukes scored one in the sixth off Scott Kelley as pinch hitter Pat Kimutis lined a two-out triple down the right field line and scored on a single by Dante Plassio. The Nittany Lions came right back in the bottom of the sixth to score two unearned runs and make it 12-3. Thompson and Leitgeb had RBI singles in that frame.
Duquesne's final three runs came in the ninth off reliever David Bumstead, who pitched the final two innings for Penn State, but all three runs were unearned as the Dukes were aided by a catcher's interference and a throwing error by the Nittany Lions.
In addition to Ernst and Cavagnaro, who hit 1-2 in the batting order, three other Nittany Lions had multiple-hit games. Leitgeb was 2-for-4 as was Wine, while Greenfield went 2-for-5.Thompson and Leitgeb each had three RBIs while Wine had two.
Whitehill, who is scheduled to start this weekend against Michigan State, threw just two innings, allowing two runs and two hits while striking out two. Kelley went two innings, allowing two hits and one run while Bumstead also pitched two innings, allowing just one hit.
Penn State will take on Michigan State this weekend, beginning on Friday at 3:00 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game will both start at 1:00 p.m.