April 30, 2008
Plymouth Meeting, Pa. - Despite pounding out 16 hits, tied for its third-highest total of the year, Penn State was defeated by Villanova 7-5 on Wednesday afternoon in the team's final non-conference game of the season. The Nittany Lions outhit the Wildcats 16-11 on the afternoon but stranded 15 baserunners, their second-most of the year.
Lou Picconi went 3-for-3, his first career three-hit game and Cory Wine went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI to lead the Penn State offense but the Nittany Lions stranded baserunners in every inning but one and left multiple runners on base in six out of nine innings.
John Karr made his first start of the year for the Nittany Lions and struggled at times with his control, walking five and giving up four runs on four hits. He also struck out two but also had two wild pitches. The sophomore, who missed half of the year while recovering from surgery for an injury, had made five relief appearances this year prior to today. Calvin Grumley pitched effectively for three innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit and walking one while also striking out one. Scott Kelley, Paul Hawkins, David Lutz and Drew O'Neil also pitched out of the bullpen.
Both the Nittany Lions and Wildcats stranded runners at second and third in their respective halves of the first inning. Penn State put together three straight two-out singles in the second but left the bases loaded.
Villanova took a 3-0 lead in the second as it got back-to-back singles to lead off the inning by James Dolbier and Kyle Carver. Both runners were sacrificed up by Dain Hall and Dolbier scored on a groundout. Joe Cotter then drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to put runners on the corners and Ryan Arcadia smacked a double down the left field line that just got by a diving Borden at third to score both runners.
Calvin Grumley had one of his most effective outings of the year, pitching three innings of relief and only allowing one hit. |
Karr had some wildness issues to begin the third inning and those led to another Villanova run to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead. Karr walked the first three hitters of the inning, the first of which stole second and went to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. Grumley relieved Karr after the last two walks and got the next two hitters on fly outs but then gave up a single through the right side to Matt McFolling. However, Rick Marlin's throw to home just beat a sliding Wesley Borden to end the inning and hold the Cats to just one more run in the inning.
Grumley kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard in the next two innings, retiring six of the seven hitters he faced in the fourth and fifth. Penn State was finally able to break through onto the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Picconi led off with a double but was still on second base two outs later. But from there, Joe Blackburn and Rob Yodice delivered back-to-back doubles to plate the first two runs of the game for the Nittany Lions but Yodice was thrown out at the plate on Ernst's single to center to end the inning.
Kelley relieved Grumley to start the bottom of the sixth and walked the first two hitters he faced but picked off the first runner, getting him into a rundown for the caught stealing. Pinch runner Joe Rosati stole second and went to third on a groundout for the second out of the inning. Kelley looked like he may have gotten out of the inning on a fly ball to right center off the bat of Arcadia, but Ernst ranged far into right field and called off Marlin but the ball was just out of his reach on a diving attempt, leading to a triple of Arcadia and a 5-2 lead for the Wildcats.
The Nittany Lions cut it back to a two-run deficit in the top of the eighth inning after Hawkins worked a scoreless seventh inning on the mound. With Borden on first and one out, Landon Nakata slapped a single to right on a hit and run play to send Borden to third. With Bobby Jacobs, who replaced Blackburn, at the plate, Nakata was thrown out at second trying to steal but Borden scored on the play to make it 5-3. The caught stealing came back to haunt Penn State, however, as Jacobs then smacked a hanging breaking ball deep and off the wall in left field for a two-out double but was stranded at second as Yodice grounded out to end the inning.
Villanova tacked on what would turn out to be two important insurance runs in the eighth off Lutz, who gave up two singles sandwiched around a foul pop out to start the inning, putting runners at first and third. O'Neil was brought in to face Arcadia, who laid down a squeeze bunt to score Hall from third and advance Cotter to second. Derek Shunk then lifted a soft liner to the left of Nakata at second, who dove for it but had it go off his glove and carom into short right field, allowing Cotter to come around and score and make it 7-3.
Those two runs ended up being huge because the Nittany Lions were able to put together a mini-rally in the ninth and get the tying and go-ahead runs to the plate but the rally fell just short. Ernst led off by drawing a walk and Wine followed with a triple over the centerfielder's head to score Ernst. Marlin then drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Ryan Boonie then chopped a soft roller to short that scored Wine but forced Marlin. Picconi then fisted a ball into right center to put runners at first and second and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. But Borden struck out looking on a close 3-2 on the outside corner and Nakata popped out to end the game.
The Nittany Lions will open an eight-game homestand this Friday night against Michigan State at 6:35 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader, which begins at 4:05 p.m., will be televised live by the Big Ten Network.
Notes: Borden extended his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest since Michael Milliron hit in 16 straight in 2004. It is also the longest hitting streak for a Penn State player under head coach Robbie Wine. Borden had previously tied Dan Beers' 15-game hitting streak from 1998 as just the 14th streak to reach at least 15 games in school history....Wine's triple was his first of the year and his first since last May 25 vs. Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament....Ernst went 2-for-4 to end his day with 215 career hits. He is just three away from passing former teammate Lance Thompson (2003-06) to take over fifth place on the all-time Penn State hits list....Picconi who reached base in four of five plate appearances, laid down his ninth sacrifice of the year in the other plate appearance, tying him with two other former Nittany Lions for third place on the season record list for sacs. Scott Gaffney holds the record of 17 that was set last year....