| Brian Ernst went 5-for-6 and scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth and became the first Nittany Lion player since 2000 to collect five hits in a game in Penn State's 12-11 win over Michigan State on Sunday in the series finale. The Lions return to action next weekend at Northwestern. For more photos from Sunday's game, click here. |
University Park, Pa.; April 16, 2006 - After the first three games of the baseball series between Michigan State and Penn State featured a combined total of seven lead changes, 43 runs and 72 hits, the series finale on Sunday managed to top them all. In a game that featured a combined 23 runs, 34 hits and nine pitchers, Penn State came out on top in the end as Scott Gummo doubled home Matt Cavagnaro with the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Nittany Lions to a wild yet thrilling 12-11 win over Michigan State and a series split with the Spartans. Gummo got the game-winner after being hit by a pitch and being called back to plate for not making an effort to get out of the way of the pitch.
The game featured a total of six lead changes, with each team scoring in the each of the final three innings. The final seven half-innings of the game featured at least one run being scored from the bottom of the sixth inning through the bottom of the ninth. The lead changed hands five times alone in the final three innings. Eleven different players had multiple-hit games, seven for Penn State and four for Michigan State. Brian Ernst led the way for Penn State by going 5-for-6 with two runs scored. The five hits is a career high for him and he becomes the first Penn State player in six years to collect at least five hits in a game. Chris Wright and Michael Campo each had five hits vs. St. Joseph's on March 4, 2000. It was also the first time in almost exactly a year that Penn State had 20 hits, as the last time that happened was on April 15 of last year vs. Minnesota.
Despite the wild finish, the game was relatively calm prior to the seventh inning as Michigan State held a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh. Penn State scored first with a run in the first inning on Gummo's two-out RBI single to drive in Ernst, who had led off with a single. The Lions would leave the bases loaded in that inning, however. Despite getting a hit in every inning, Penn State was unable to score again until the sixth.
The Spartans, meanwhile, scored two in the second and three in the third off Penn State starter Craig Clark. Back-to-back two-out triples by Steve Gerstenberger and Sean Walker in the second combined with a wild pitch accounted for the two runs in the second and the Spartans struck again after the first two outs were recorded in the third as Kyle Day drew a walk, which was followed by three straight singles by Adam Tripp, Ryan Basham, and John Lee along with a passed ball mixed in, making two of the runs earned and one unearned.
With the Spartans holding a 5-1 lead, the Nittany Lions scored pair of runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by an RBI single by Ernst after Aaron Greenfield had drawn a leadoff walk and Garrett Field had singled. Cavagnaro also drove in a run with a groundout to make it 5-3. Michigan State got a run back in the top of the seventh as with one out, Day and Tripp both singled and Basham doubled home Day before Clark struck out the next hitter and got the final hitter to ground out to strand runners at second and third.
The Nittany Lions answered with four runs in the bottom of the seventh off relief pitchers Spencer Hahn and Quinn Ewert, who relieved starter Craig Brookes after he threw 111 pitches in his six innings. Lance Thompson, who was dropped to fifth in the order for the first time this year and responded with a 3-for-5 performance, led off with a single. Scott Gaffney, who had already extended his hitting streak to a career best 10 games with a fifth-inning double, then was hit by a pitch. Cory Wine, who was 2-for-5, drove home Thompson with a single up the middle. Greenfield laid down a sacrifice to move the runners up to second and third and Field followed with a two-run single to tie the game 6-6. Field promptly stole second and scored when Spartan shortstop Troy Krider mishandled Ernst's ground ball. A double play ended the inning without Penn State being able to score any more runs.
After throwing 121 pitches in his seven innings of work, Clark was lifted to begin the eighth. Scott Kelley came on but after getting the first out on a long fly ball to left, walked Oliver Wolcott, gave up a single to Krider, and hit E.J. Daws with a pitch to load the bases. Lefty reliever Matt Ogrodnik was then summoned to face the left-handed hitting Day, giving Ogrodnik appearances in all four games of the series. He got Day to fly out to left on his first pitch but it was deep enough to score Wolcott with the tying run.
With both squad's bullpens extended about as far as they could be in the final game of the series, Penn State coach Robbie Wine turned to Gaffney for his first pitching appearance of the year to get the final out of the eighth. He got a ground ball but it snuck through the left side of the infield for a seeing-eye, two-run single by Tripp to give Michigan State an 9-7 lead. Tripp overran first base, however, and was thrown out trying to get back to first to end the inning.
Penn State answered immediately with three runs in its half of the eighth. Cavagnaro hit the second pitch he saw from Ewert down the right field line for a double. After Gummo flied out, Ewert was pulled for southpaw Chris Malec, who came in to face the lefty Thompson. Malec threw just four pitches and gave up a single to center to Thompson that drove in Cavagnaro. Chris Cullen was then brought in to pitch to Gaffney, who greeted him by pounding his second pitch into right center for an RBI double to score Thompson and tie the game. Wine followed by lining the first pitch he saw from Cullen up the middle to score Gaffney with the go-ahead run for a 10-9 Nittany Lion lead before Cullen got the final two outs of the inning on a long fly ball to center and line out by Field that Krider made a nice leaping catch on at short to end the inning.
Gaffney nearly retired the side in the ninth inning without the Spartans taking the lead, but by a slim margin, Michigan State was able to push across two more in that frame, one earned and one unearned, to take an 11-10 lead. Bashman led off with a double and was sacrificed to third before Gaffney struck out Gerstenberger on a nasty breaking pitch in the dirt. Walker then hit a high-bouncing ball that Gummo fielded deep at third but was unable to beat Walker to first with his throw as Basham scored the tying run. After Walker went to second on a wild pitch, Gaffney struck out Wolcott to seemingly end the inning but it was on another nasty breaking pitch that Greenfield was unable to squeeze. Greenfield's throw to first sailed high for an error as Wolcott reached and Walker went to third. Only Landon Nakata's backing up the play prevented Walker from scoring. It wouldn't matter, however, as with Krider at the plate, another wild pitch allowed Walker to trot home with the go-ahead run before Gaffney got Krider to fly out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ernst led off by alertly laying down a bunt single down the third base line that he beat out with Spartan third baseman Wolcott playing well onto the dirt. Nakata then laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the game to get Ernst to second. Cavagnaro, who was 2-for-6, then smacked Cullen's second pitch to him through the right side for the game-tying RBI single. Gummo followed with the game-winner, a double deep into the gap in right center to score Cavagnaro and end the wild affair with the 20th Nittany Lion hit of the game.
Gaffney picked up the win in his first pitching appearance of the year. He allowed three hits and two runs, only one of which was earned, in 1.1 innings of work. He also struck out two. Starter Clark allowed 10 hits, six runs, five earned, and struck out eight, while leaving as the pitcher of record on the winning side. Cullen took the loss and fell to 2-1 after allowing five hits and three runs in just one inning of work. MSU starter Brookes also allowed 10 hits but just three runs in his six innings of work while both walking and striking out four. For the Nittany Lions, Gaffney went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, while Field was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and run scored. Gumo was also 3-for-5 with two RBI. Tripp and Basham led the Spartans with each having 3-for-5 performances. Penn State improves to 11-23, 5-7 in the Big Ten with the win while Michigan State is now 17-15, 6-6 in the Big Ten.
Notes: Starting catcher James Spinelli left the game in the third inning after taking a strike three in the dirt off his throwing hand....Penn State pitching coach Jason Bell was ejected in the middle of the eighth inning by home plate umpire Mike Rose for arguing balls and strikes....The Nittany Lions have now scored 10 or more runs in four of their last six games....Penn State also has collected at least 10 hits in five of its last six games....Gaffney's last pitching appearance prior to today came May 21 of last year vs. Michigan....Cory Wine has now hit in a career high seven straight games and is 19-for-his-last-45 (.422) in his last 13 games to raise his average to .327.