April 5, 2008
University Park, Pa. - Mike Wanamaker pitched a two-hitter and a complete game in the first seven-inning contest of Saturday's doubleheader against Michigan, but it was not enough to fend off the Wolverines in the afternoon pitchers' duel, as Chris Fetter blanked the Nittany Lions in seven innings of work, letting up just four hits en route to a 1-0 victory for the Wolverines over the Nittany Lions. Wanamaker walked just two batters and struck out four in his first complete game of the season, while Fetter walked three and struck out five.
The Nittany Lions were unable to score after loading the bases with one out in the first. That proved to be their best chance of the game as they got just four baserunners off Fetter in the final six innings. Aside from the fourth inning, Michigan had just two baserunners in the rest of the game as they went down in order four times. A two-out RBI double by Adam Abraham scored Kevin Cislo, who had drawn a one-out walk, in the fourth inning for the only run of the game.
In the Penn State first, Rob Yodice followed up a one out Landon Nakata walk with a line drive single to left field. Joe Blackburn then watched ball four go by to load the bases for Wine, who worked the count full before hitting a laser to shortstop, but Jason Christian grabbed it out of the air going to his right for the second out. Fetter then got himself out of the jam by striking out Wes Borden looking with a nasty breaking ball. The patient Penn State hitters forced Fetter to throw 32 pitches in the inning, but that did not translate into an early exit for the Wolverine starter.
The Nittany Lions flashed the leather in the field in the top of the second, with web gems by Picconi, who went back and leapt to catch a soft liner over his head, and Borden, who dove to field a grounder to his left and beat the runner with a strong throw across the diamond to a stretching Wine. Wanamaker again retired all three batters he faced in the inning, which he would do again in the third, recording a strikeout in the process.
After retiring the first 10 hitters he faced in the game, the Wolverines finally reached base against Wanamaker when Cislo walked with one out. The following batter, Nate Recknagel, knocked a grounder through the left side of the infield for Michigan's first hit of the game. A 6-4 fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs. Abraham then knocked his double to left-center, scoring Cislo and advancing Zach Putnam to third. Wanamaker forced an infield pop out for the final out of the inning, holding Michigan to only one run and two hits. That would be all the offense the Wolverines would put together for the rest of the game as they would only have two more baserunners, one on an error and one on a walk.
After the first, the Nittany Lions had a baserunners in each inning except the seventh, but Fetter was able to induce three double play grounders to end three different innings. Penn State also hit a couple of balls hard but right at Michigan fielders. Nakata drew his second walk of the game with one out in the second but Yodice grounded into a 4-4-3 double play to end the inning. Blackburn led off the fourth with a line drive but right at the right fielder. Wine then hit a scorcher to centerfield for a base hit but Borden bounced into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. Nakata whacked a single into right field to lead off the but Yodice struck out and Blackburn grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Fetter would then set down the Lions in order in the seventh, ending his day with 102 pitches through the seven innings.
Notes: Nakata reached base in all three plate appearances with two walks and a single