| Craig Clark pitched a complete-game shutout, the second such performance for the Nittany Lion pitching staff this year, allowing just six hits as Penn State took the series finale from Indiana 11-0, gaining another series split. The Lions will travel to Purdue next weekend for a Saturday-Monday series. |
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.;April 30, 2006 - After two close games yesterday that Penn State lost and missed many opportunities in, thereby leaving critical close plays that may have decided the games in the hands of the umpires, the Nittany Lions made sure that Sunday's game would not come down to a close call or two. Rebounding nicely from two crushing losses yesterday, Penn State scored two runs in the first and gradually added to the lead as the game went on and Craig Clark pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just six hits as the Nittany Lions gained their third straight series split with an 11-0 win over Indiana.
Penn State improves to 16-27 with the win, 9-11 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have now split four of their five conference series this year. In the second complete game shutout this year for the Nittany Lion pitching staff, Clark didn't even have to throw 100 pitches in his nine innings of work, as he needed just 96 pitches to pick up his second straight win after getting his first win at Northwestern last weekend. He scattered just the six hits, with them coming in five separate innings, and struck out seven while walking none. He now has over a 1:7 walk to strikeout ratio this year (9:64).
The Nittany Lions struck first in the first inning with a pair of runs. Doug Fleenor, who had pitched complete game one-hit shutout in a midweek game last Tuesday for the Hoosiers, walked leadoff hitter Brian Ernst, gave up a double to Matt Cavagnaro, and walked Scott Gummo to load the bases. Ernst scored on Lance Thompson's sacrifice fly and one out later, Aaron Greenfield continued his hot hitting as of late with an RBI single to left.
It remained 2-0 until the fourth when Penn State added two unearned runs to make it 4-0. Jim Leitgeb reached on an error by shortstop Josh Richardson, making it all the way to second when no one covered the bag. One out later, Ernst drew his second walk of the game. Then, with two outs, Gummo singled to right center to drive in Leitgeb and Thompson followed with another RBI hit on a liner to shortstop that handcuffed David Trager, who had replaced Richardson in the middle of the inning.
Four more runs were scored by the Lions in the sixth off two relief pitchers as Penn State nearly hit for the cycle in the inning, coming just a home run short. With one out, Cavagnaro singled and then Gummo hit a ball to right center for a double, which was misplayed by Hoosier right fielder Andrew Means, allowing the ball to get all the way to the wall and Gummo to get all the way to third as Cavagnaro scored after initially holding up at third. Thompson then doubled down the right field line for this third RBI hit of the day, scoring Gummo. Reliever Eric Wagner was relieved by Chris Hervey, who gave up an RBI triple to Scott Gaffney, his second in as many days, and Gaffney trotted home on Greenfield's sacrifice fly.
Reliever Chris McCombs yielded three more run to the Nits in the eighth inning, two earned and one unearned after leftfielder Jay Brant misplayed a single to left by Gaffney, which allowed both Cavagnaro and Colin Runt to score, after they had both singled. Also for the second time this weekend, Gaffney scored on a wild pitch for the final PSU run of the day.
Four Nittany Lions collected multiple hit games, led by Thompson with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBI. Cavagnaro went 3-for-5 with three runs scored while Gaffney was 2-for-4 and Gummo 2-for-4. Greenfield also had two RBI.
Clark allowed only six baserunners on the day, which all came on his six hits allowed. Only two runners reached as far as second base, one of which was on a double. Clark also added to his pickoff total, getting Brant in the fourth inning. It was his fourth pickoff of the year, tying him for first in the Big Ten. It was his second career complete game and his first complete game shutout.
Penn State will take this week off before returning to action next weekend at Purdue. The series will run from Saturday-Monday, instead of the usual Friday-Sunday.
Notes: Gaffney hit .538 (7-for-13) in the series while Gummo hit .545 (6-for-11) with a .643 on-base percentage....Overall, Gummo now has a .461 OBP and has raised his batting average above .300 to .308 for the first time this year....The Nittany Lions followed up their errorless weekend at Northwestern last weekend by making just three errors in this weekend's series. After making two in Friday's win and a costly one in yesterday's first game, they were errorless in the final two games of the series....Greenfield is now 11-for-29 (.379) with nine RBI, including four multi-RBI games in his last nine games and has raised his average from .118 to .238 in that span....Colin Runt had his first hit since March 25 at Arizona State after pinch-hitting for Gummo at the DH spot in the eighth inning....Penn State starting pitchers have now had three complete games in the last nine contests after the Lions had just two in the first 34 games.