April 2, 2008
Coach Bell chats with Loren Crispell on the radio postgame show after the win over Bucknell (mp3)
University Park, Pa. - Six Penn State pitchers took the mound, one got his first career win and one picked up his first career save and seven Penn State hitters collected a hit on Wednesday night as the Nittany Lions topped Bucknell 8-3 in the continuation of Penn State's most-played series in school history. Brian Ernst went 2-for-3 with two runs, Ryan Boonie went 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI's, and Joe Blackburn went 1-for-4 with an RBI double.
Freshman Calvin Grumley made his first career start for Penn State and pitched well, allowing no runs and only four hits over three innings of work to pick up his first career win. The left-hander was on a pitch count, thereby qualifying him to get the win despite not going the usual minimum of five innings. He was followed by a staff of five relievers who combined for six innings and allowed only three runs. Paul Cianciolo picked up his first career save as he pitched 2.1 innings to finish of the game, striking out three.
The Nittany Lions took the lead for good off Bucknell starter Doug Shribman with one run in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Then, against reliever Matt Foley in the third inning, capitalized on an error that prolonged the inning and scored five unearned runs to take a 6-0 lead and never looked back. Bucknell cut the lead in half with a combined three runs in the seventh and eighth innings but the Nittany Lions extended that lead back to a five-run margin by taking advantage of a passed ball and pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
After drawing a walk and advancing to second on a Brian Ernst groundout in the bottom of the first, Wes Borden stole third base. Rob Yodice hit a fly ball not quite deep enough to score Borden, and Joe Blackburn walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Shribman threw over to first in an attempt to pickoff Blackburn and caught the Nittany Lion captain in a pickle. Though he was tagged for the third out, he remained in the rundown long enough for Borden to score before he was tagged out, giving Penn State a 1-0 lead.
Paul Cianciolo picked up his first career save by pitching 2.1 innings to finish off the win over Bucknell. |
In all three of his innings of work, Grumley retired the first two hitters, only to let the next two hitters reach. However, he got out of all three innings unscathed, twice getting fly ball outs to end the innings and once getting a ground out.
With Foley on to pitch in the bottom of the third, Ernst laced a double to left with one out. Yodice then hit a ball towards short that shortstop Ben Allen came up with but his throw to first was in the dirt for an error, putting runners at first and second. Blackburn then crushed a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark, but it was caught at the warning track, allowing Ernst to tag up and take third. Wine drew a walk to load the bases with two outs for Rick Marlin, who walked to score Ernst. A wild pitch scored Yodice and a Ryan Boonie double that dropped just inside the right field line and just in front of the right fielder cleared the bases, scoring Wine and Marlin. Nakata was hit by a pitch and advanced to third while Boonie scored on a line drive single up the middle by Picconi. That would be it for Foley, who was replaced by Andrew Clarke, who recorded the third out of the inning.
Paul Hawkins pitched a one-two-three fourth inning, and David Lutz threw a scoreless fifth and sixth to keep the Bison scoreless. Lutz looked strong for his second straight appearance as despite giving up back-to-back singles in his first inning of work, he came back to retire the next three hitters and then induced an inning-ending double play ball in the sixth.
After the Bison put two on with two outs in the top of the seventh against the fourth Nittany Lion pitcher of the night in Mike Pierce, Scott Kelley entered and walked Jason Buursma to load the bases. He then walked Avanzino to force in Bucknell's first run before being relieved by Paul Cianciolo. With the bases loaded and the tying run in the on-deck cirle and a 6-1 lead, Cianciolo forced Andrew Brouse to ground out to Picconi for the third out.
Ryan Boonie got his first extra-base hit, a two-run double to collect his third multi-RBI game of the year. |
Zach Brown and Ed Rubbo each hit a single for Bucknell to begin the eighth inning. After a fielder's choice left runners on the corners, Ben Yoder hit a sacrifice fly to left, which scored Brown. It was the first run Cianciolo allowed so far in his career after five straight scoreless innings of work over four appearances to begin his Penn State baseball career. Dane Grandizio and Mark Angelo followed with back-to-back singles; the latter scoring Allen to cut the Nittany Lions' lead to three. But Cianciolo closed the door right there as he struck out Buursma, the Bison's leading hitter, to end the inning.
Nakata led off the bottom of the eighth by drawing a walk. He stole second and took third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Ernst whiffed on strike three, but the ball was dropped and Ernst hustled to first to beat out the throw as a result of the passed ball. Nakata, alert at third, scored on the throw. Bobby Jacobs, replacing Yodice behind the dish, was hit by a pitch, and Blackburn scorched a double to right center, scoring Ernst. Solan struck out Wine for the third out of the inning.
With an 8-3 lead, Cianciolo struck out two in the top of the ninth to finish off the Bison and pick up his first career save.
Notes: Lou Picconi has now reached base safely in 20 of his 21 games this year....David Lutz has now pitched seven straight scoreless innings....Penn State has played Bucknell more than any other opponent in school history...The Nittany Lions now lead the all-time series 112-30-1 after playing Bucknell for the 22nd straight year....David Solan struck out four batters in the eighth for Bucknell, making him the first college pitcher to record four strikeouts in an inning at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park....The Nittany Lions did not commit an error for the fifth game this year.