Feb. 23, 2008
Coach Wine's postgame podcast interview (mp3)
High Point, N.C. - After pounding out 10 hits in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Penn State was limited to just three hits in game two and High Point jumped on the scoreboard early and rode that momentum to a 14-1 win. Both teams are now 1-1 and will play the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
Game two starter Mike Lorentson picked off a runner in the first inning to pitch around an error but the second inning turned into a disaster for Penn State as they committed four errors in the inning and gave up five runs, three earned and three hits. The inning started with a leadoff single by Billy Alvino and Randy Schwartz followed with a double. Max Fulginiti drew a walk to load the bases. Alfie Wheeler then hit a ball into the hole at short that Wes Borden, making his Penn State debut, knocked down with a nice dive to his right. He had only one play at third base as the runner from third scored but his throw went behind the runner and into foul ground, allowing Schwartz to come home from second and score as well. Kyle Mahoney then followed with a two-run single down the right field line to score both runners to make it 4-0. He went to second on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt but was thrown out by Joe Blackburn trying to steal third.
From that point, Pablo Rosario started things up again with a single to center. After Lorentson induced a fly out by leadoff hitter Robby Kuzdale, Chris Norwood reached on an error by Cory Wine at first. With runners at first and second, a double steal was executed by High Point but Blackburn's throw to second went into center field when no one covered the base, allowing Rosario to score the fifth run of the inning.
High Point tacked on two more runs off Lorentson in the third inning on a pair of solo home runs. Schwartz led off the inning with a solo shot to left and Mahoney hit a two-out dinger to left center. Another solo shot by Norwood with one out in the fourth inning off relief pitcher Ryan Stobart made it 8-0 before Penn State scored its run.
The Nittany Lions were able to manufacture their only run of the game in the fifth inning as Rick Marlin led off by drawing a walk. He went to second on an infield chopper to third by Grant Youngblood, the freshman who made this Penn State debut in the second game, and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Brian Ernst, who went 2-for-4 in the second after also going 2-for-4 in the game one.
The Panthers scored three more runs in the fifth as Stobart gave up three straight singles mixed in with a passed ball to start the inning before recording the first out that produced one run. Rosario then delivered two-run single to drive in two more before Stobart stuck out the next two hitters to strike out the side.
David Lutz made his season debut and pitched the seventh inning, allowing two runs on two hits but he also struck out two. Scott Kelley then made his first pitching appearance since May 16, 2006 as a freshman as he pitched the ninth, giving up a pair of walks and a double and one run. Kelley, who was exclusively a pitcher as a freshman before serving exclusively as an outfielder last year, will serve in a dual role this year.
The Nittany Lions will start Seth Whitehill in the rubber game of the series tomorrow. A second team All-Big Ten selection last year, the Bellefonte, Pa. native had a 5-6 record overall and a 4-2 record in Big Ten play.
FREE- DOWNLOAD THE PENN STATE SPORTS DESKTOP APPLICATION HERE