| Scott Gaffney went 2-for-4 and the Penn State bullpen pitched 6.2 scoreless innings but the Nittany Lions were shut out by Central Connecticut 2-0 on Sunday, giving Penn State a 2-1 record on the weekend. Penn State will next host Minnesota on Friday at 6:35 p.m. in its Big Ten opener at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 25, 2007 ?C After the Nittany Lions pitching staff tossed its first shutout of the year and held Central Connecticut State to just one unearned run in the first two games of the weekend series, the good pitching continued in the series finale on Sunday, as Penn State pitching allowed just two runs but were upstaged by CCSU??s Matt Gianini, who threw a complete game shutout to lead the Blue Devils to a 2-0 win over Penn State.
Gianini scattered eight hits over his nine innings, struck out seven and walked just one. The Nittany Lions had at least one baserunner in every inning but were only able to get two runners to third base. In the bottom of the ninth, the Nittany Lions put runners on the corners on back-to-back two-out singles by Rick Marlin (Orlando, Fla.) and Scott Kelley (Arlington Heights, Ill.) but Gianini got Scott Gaffney (Westbury, N.Y.), who had been 2-for-3 up that point, to foul out to first to end the game.
That turned out to be Penn State??s best chance to score although the Nits had a few others as well. In the second, Marlin made it all the way to third on a three-base error by center fielder Richie Tri, who dropped a fly ball. He redeemed himself with the next batter, however, as he caught a fly ball by Kelley to end the inning. In the third, Gaffney led off with a single, breaking a slump that had saw him go without a hit since March 9 at Wichita State, but was unable to score as Gianini induced a pop out and two ground outs to end the inning.
In the fourth, Cory Wine (Stillwater, Okla.) led off with a single but was erased by a double play. The Nittany Lions had runners on first and second in the fifth and Gaffney reached on a two-out bunt single and the seventh and stole second but was stranded.
Mark Wyner (Norwalk, Conn.) made his first start since February 16 and struggled with his control in his 2.1 innings of work. He allowed just two hits and struck out two but also hit three batters, all of which were directly or indirectly responsible for CCSU??s two runs in the game.
In the second, Jay Schillaci was plunked to lead off the inning. He stole second and went to third on a wild pitch with two outs and scored on a single by Garrett Walker that ricocheted off Wyner and to shortstop and that Walker just beat out at first.
The Blue Devils scored their other run in the third as Richie Tri led off with a single. After the first out of the inning, Wyner hit both Sean Salvatore and Adam Taha with pitches to load the bases. His day ended with the third hit batsman as Mike Lorentson (Springfield, Pa.) came in to a bases-loaded, one-out jam. He gave up an RBI single to Schillaci that scored Tri but then got a pop out and a fielder??s choice grounder to end the inning without further damage.
Lorentson threw 3.2 innings out of the bullpen, giving up six hits but no runs. Paul Hawkins (Glen Hope, Pa.) followed him for an inning in the seventh, getting out of a first and second, no outs jams by getting a pair of ground outs and a pop out after Lorentson had given up two hits to lead off the inning. He got the final out on a comebacker to the mound to strand runners at second and third. In the eighth, Matt Ogrodnik (Saltsburg, Pa.) got out of a first and second, one out situation by getting an inning-ending double play that he started on a comebacker.
For the series, the Penn State bullpen had a 0.00 ERA, not giving up any runs, earned or unearned. The Nittany Lion pitching staff in fact gave up just three runs overall and had a 0.67 ERA in the series, while the offense hit .299 in the series, led by Brian Ernst (Boyertown, Pa.) and Rob Yodice (Staten Island, N.Y.) , who hit .455 and .444, respectively.
Penn State now will turn its attention to the Big Ten series, as the Nittany Lions will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Big Ten opening weekend next weekend at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The first Big Ten Conference game in the new stadium will take place on Friday, March 30 at 6:35 p.m. Next Saturday??s doubleheader will begin at 1:05 p.m. while Sunday??s single game will also take place at 1:05 p.m.
Prior to the commencing Big Ten play, both the Nittany Lion baseball team and softball team will host a ??Meet the Team Night?? this Thursday, March 29 from 7-9 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.