May 23, 2008
Coach Wine in the postgame press conference (mp3)
Ann Arbor, Mich. - Penn State rallied back from a 7-4 deficit entering the top of the ninth inning by scoring four runs in the inning to take an 8-7 lead on Cory Wine's two-out, two-run double and a subsequent error that allowed Wine to score the go-ahead run. However, in the bottom of the ninth, Indiana loaded the bases with one out and then Tyler Cox, who had committed the error in the top half of the inning, ended the game with a game-winning grand slam to left center to give the Hoosiers an 11-8 win.
The loss eliminates the Nittany Lions from the Big Ten Tournament and ends their season with a record of 17-15. Penn State had finished third in the Big Ten, marking the first time in program history that Penn State finished in the top three in the Big Ten in back-to-back years.
T.J. Macy made the start for Penn State and allowed nine hits and six runs in five plus innings of work. Drew O'Neil relieved him after he had walked the leadoff hitter in the sixth and kept the Hoosiers off the scoreboard for the next three innings before running into trouble in the ninth.
Joe Blackburn went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and runs scored in his final game as a Nittany Lion. Rob Yodice had two more RBI, his fifth straight game with multiple RBI in his final collegiate game. Wine went 2-for-5 with the two RBI coming on his double in the ninth while Wes Borden scored three runs and went 2-for-4. Ryan Boonie also had a pair of hits.
The Hoosiers took a 1-0 lead in the second as they took advantage of a throwing error by Macy to lead off the frame. Kipp Schutz lined a ball back to Macy that he knocked down with his glove but threw the ball wide of first, allowing Schutz to reach. He was sacrificed to second by Evan Crawford and then scored on Ethan Wilson's single to left center.
Cory Wine came up with a big two-out, two-run double to tie the game in the top of the ninth. |
That lead did not last for long, however, as Penn State scored three runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. With one out, Borden drove a ball to center field that Andrew Means misplayed and had the ball go off his glove, allowing Borden to pull into second. He scored on Landon Nakata's bloop single into short left field and Nakata was then chased home by Blackburn's triple to deep right center. Blackburn then came home on Yodice's groundout to first.
However, much like Indiana's 1-0 lead, Penn State's 3-1 lead was short-lived as the Hoosiers answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead right back at 4-3. Chris Hervey started the inning by striking out but he reached first when the third strike was a wild pitch. Josh Phegley then dropped down a bunt against an infield that was playing back and reached on the infield hit. One out later, Tyler Rogers drew a walk to load the bases and Schutz followed with a drive to left center that was just out of the reach of Ernst and dropped for a two-run double. After the second out, Wilson singled to right field to score Rogers but was thrown out trying to go to second on Marlin's throw home, ending the inning.
Macy ran into trouble again in the fifth inning. He came to close to getting out of the inning but made a mistake to Wilson, who crushed a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run with two outs to make it 7-3. Rogers had drawn a one-out walk and Crawford had singled with two outs to put the two runners on base for Wilson.
The Nittany Lions elected to bring in their closer, O'Neil in the sixth inning after Macy had walked the leadoff hitter, Hervey. Hervey was caught stealing and O'Neil struck out Josh Phegley and then got Jerrud Sabourin to ground out to end the inning.
Penn State inched closer with a single run in the seventh as Borden led off with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Blackburn to shallow right, just beating the throw home, which was just up the third base line.
Joe Blackburn went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in his final collegiate game. |
O'Neil worked out of a two-on, one-out jams in the seventh and also worked a scoreless eighth, working around a hit batsman with one out.
With just three outs to go and Penn State trailing by three, Borden drew a leadoff walk. Nakata flied out to shallow right but Blackburn followed with a single in the hole at short, putting runners at first and second. Yodice then ripped a ball down the right field line for a double, scoring Borden to make it 7-5 and putting runners at second and third. While Scott Kelley came in to pinch runner for Yodice, Chris Squires relieved the starter Chris McCombs, who had gone 8.1 innings and ended his day having allowed seven runs, five earned, three of which came in the ninth inning. Squires struck out Brian Ernst and then got two quick strikes on Wine. After working the count back to 1-2, Wine drilled the pitch into right center and off the wall for a two-run double to tie the game. Rick Marlin then swung at the first pitch and hit a ground ball to short but Cox booted it and it went into short left field, allowing Wine to come around with the go-ahead run to make it 8-7.
In the bottom of the ninth, Rogers led off with a seeing-eye single through the left side. Pinch hitter Michael Earley then did the same thing on an 0-2 pitch. Crawford then attempted to lay down a sacrifice but Wine threw Rogers out at third, making it first and second with one out. Wilson who had five RBI on the day at that point, chopped a ball high off the dirt in front of the plate. The chopper got over O'Neil's head and Wilson beat Lou Picconi's throw to first with a headfirst slide. After a visit to the mound by pitching coach Jason Bell, O'Neil worked Cox to a 1-2 count before Cox ripped the 1-2 pitch deep and just over the wall in left center for the game-winning grand slam.
Notes: The home run by Cox marked the first extra-base hit that O'Neil gave up all year and it also marked the first Big Ten team other than Minnesota that he gave up an earned run to in his career....He ends his Penn State career having given up just six earned runs in two years to Big Ten teams, and just one in the regular season....With his two RBI today, Yodice finished the year with 56, which ranks tied for fourth with Chris Wright (2001) on the single season RBI list at Penn State....Ernst went 1-for-3 to finish with 78 hits on the year, tied for third place on the single season list with Matt Cavagnaro (2007)...Ernst also finishes his career with 237 career hits, third all-time and just 14 hits behind second Shawn Fagan (251)....Nakata and Picconi finished the year with 179 and 169 defensive assists, respectively, which rank third and fourth on the single season list.