April 15, 2008
Coach Bell on the postgame radio show (mp3)
University Park, Pa. - Penn State led early and threatened late but a pair of unearned runs scored by Akron ended up being the difference in the game as the Nittany Lions fell to Akron 5-3 before 2,012 fans on Tuesday night.
Wes Borden, starting at second base, went 3-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases while Lou Picconi went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI, and stolen base. Several regular starters were rested by the Nittany Lions as several reserves got the start. Freshmen Ben Heath, Bobby Jacobs and Grant Youngblood made starts as did sophomore Jack Greenberg while regulars Joe Blackburn, Brian Ernst, Landon Nakata and Rob Yodice did not start, although they all entered the game in the later innings.
T.J. Macy made his Penn State debut, allowing five runs, three earned, and eight hits over six innings while striking out three and walking only one. John Karr pitched a scoreless inning in relief, and Paul Cianciolo pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Akron struck early, scoring the first run of the game after just two batters. Kevin Haas lined a Macy fastball to centerfield that tailed right, just beyond the reach of Youngblood's glove for a leadoff triple. John Turk poked a Texas League single over second base to score Haas and give the Zips an early 1-0 lead.
Penn State answered back in the bottom of the first. After striking out Borden, Akron starter Benjamin Danziger hit Picconi with the first pitch he threw to him. Scott Kelley drove an outside fastball the other way to right as Picconi advanced to third. Cory Wine then knocked a groundball through the middle of the infield, extending his hitting streak to nine games and scoring Picconi to tie the game at one.
Cory Wine extended his hitting streak to a career-hig nine games and drove in a run. |
Bobby Jacobs drew a nine-pitch, one-out walk to get the Nittany Lions started the bottom of the second. After Youngblood's drive to deep left was caught for the second out, Borden lined a single over the shortstop's head, advancing Jacobs to second. Picconi followed by hitting a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield, scoring Jacobs from second and putting Penn State on top 2-1. Picconi and Borden put themselves into scoring position by executing a double steal, but were stranded there as Kelley flew out to right to end the inning.
The one-run Penn State advantage did not last long, however, as the Zips picked up an unearned run in the third. Haas hit a fly ball to left that fell near the foul line for a single. A wild Macy pickoff attempt at first turned into a two-base error as Haas advanced to third and then scored on a Turk groundout to tie the game 2-2.
Akron regained the lead for good in the fifth by notching two runs, just one of them earned. Keene Marstrell started the Zips off with a single to left, and scored on a throwing error by Rick Marlin, who was trying to catch him going to third on a Haas base hit. Kurt Davidson singled in Haas for Akron's second run of the inning, putting the Zips up 4-2.
After striking out Matt Roberts to start the sixth inning, Macy found himself in a one-out, bases loaded jam. After a Vince Chiera-single, Drew Turocy and Phil Bednor laid down bunts. On the first one, Greenberg's throw to second was in the first, allowing Chiera to slide safely into second and on the second one, Greenberg booted the ball as he charged in to field it, loading the bases. Macy gave up his only walk of the game to score Chiera, but got the next two Akron batters out to escape with only the unearned one run scored.
Borden drew a leadoff walk off relief pitcher James Podgorney and Picconi slapped a single to the right side of the infield that advanced Borden to third. Borden would score on a Kelley fielder's choice, moving the Nittany Lions within two.
Akron brought in Garrett Knoll, their fourth pitcher of the evening, in the bottom of the ninth with a 5-3 lead. After Borden spanked a double down the first baseline with one out, Picconi dropped bunt down the third baseline and reached first as Chiera's throw pulled Davidson off the bag. With the winning run at the plate and one out, Kelley hit a grounder back to the pitcher for a 1-6-3, game-ending double play.
Notes: Wine extended his hitting streak to nine games, which is the longest hitting streak of his career...Blackburn's and Nakata's consecutive games reaching base safely streak were both snapped tonight as both recorded an official at-bat entering the game in the eighth inning as pinch hitters....Heath made just his second start of the year while Jacobs made his third start and Greenberg his fourth.