April 22, 2008
Coach Bell on the postgame radio show (mp3)
University Park, Pa. - Lou Picconi drove in a career high three runs on two hits, and Penn State scored in five of the first six innings to defeat LaSalle 7-3 in midweek action Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The win stretches the Nittany Lions' winning streak to five games after their sweep of Indiana in a four-game series last weekend.
T.J. Macy, who was on a pitch count, picked up the first win of his Penn State career by pitching three innings of shutout baseball, striking out two and walking none, while only letting up one hit. John Karr pitched two shutout innings in relief, allowing just one walk and no hits and striking out three. Paul Hawkins, Scott Kelley, and Mike Pierce combined for three innings of work in the sixth, seventh and eighth and Drew O'Neil came on to pitch the ninth inning to secure the Penn State victory.
Wes Borden extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Brian Ernst went 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base, and Ryan Boonie went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Joe Blackburn reached base four times on a double and three walks, scoring once, driving in one run and stealing a base.
Borden ignited the Penn State bats early with a single through the right side of the infield in the first inning. He scored two batters later after stealing second when Joe Blackburn crushed a double over the outfielders' heads in left-center. After walking Rob Yodice, Christian Shulz was able to avoid any more damage by forcing Ernst into an inning-ending double play, with Penn State leading 1-0.
Wes Borden swiped two more bases, scored two runs and extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 2-for-5 performance on Wednesday. |
Penn State added two more in the second. Cory Wine walked and Rick Marlin knocked a single down the leftfield line to begin the inning. After Boonie laid down a sacrifice bunt to put them both into scoring position, Picconi sliced a double down the rightfield line, scoring both Wine and Marlin and putting Penn State up 3-0.
The Nittany Lions were productive in the third inning, capitalizing again on a leadoff walk by Blackburn, who scored on an Ernst double to right-center. Ernst stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wine, swelling the Penn State lead to 5-0.
Boonie and Picconi led the Nittany Lion offense in the fourth, the former hitting a double and the latter knocking him in with a single for his third RBI of the evening, giving Penn State a 6-0 advantage.
Penn State picked up another run in the sixth. Borden singled, stole second base for his second swipe of the game, and reached third on a passed ball. After a pair of walks drawn by Landon Nakata and Blackburn, Yodice hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield, scoring Borden from third and giving Penn State a 7-0 lead.
The Explorers finally scored in the top of the seventh, tallying two runs and three hits. T.J. Chism was hit by a Hawkins pitch to start the inning, and R.J. Hollinshead followed with a single. After Mike Dertouzos was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs, Hawkins forced a 1-2-3 double play to save any runs from scoring. However, Chris Crawford hit a single that knocked in two runs and cut the Nittany Lion lead to five.
Ryan Boonie went 2-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice. |
LaSalle added another run in the eighth on a hit and three walks. Scott Kelley walked pinch-hitter, Derek Barauskas, with the bases loaded to bring the Explorers within four. But Pierce came on with the bases loaded and two outs and the tying run at the plate and got Justin Handler to ground back to the pitcher to end the threat without any further damage.
O'Neil came on in the ninth with a 7-3 lead to close out the game for the Nittany Lions and did so with ease, sitting down the top of LaSalle's lineup in order, getting a double play after he hit the first batter of the inning and then getting another groundout for the final out of the game.
The Nittany Lions will go for their sixth straight win when they host Youngstown State at 5:35 p.m. tomorrow night.
Notes: Borden increased his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first inning, making him the first Nittany Lion this season to have a hitting streak reach 10 games....Borden also now has seven stolen bases in his last six games and has taken over the team lead in that category....Rick Marlin increased his hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning single....Ryan Boonie reached base in his 13th consecutive game with a fourth-inning double...John Karr pitched a season-high two innings, striking out three, walking one, and letting up no runs....Blackburn has now reached base in his last seven plate appearances dating back to Sunday's game....Picconi's three RBI were a career high