Feb. 20, 2009
DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Penn State baseball team opened its 2009 season on a losing note, as the Nittany Lions surrendered 15 runs en route to a 15-6 defeat to St. John's on Friday. The Red Storm racked 17 hits and struck out 14 Nittany Lions to give Penn State a loss in the inaugural Big Ten/Big East Challenge in Dunedin, Fla.
Sporting new uniforms and a new-look lineup, Penn State (0-1) profited from resounding performances from some of its new faces while totaling 11 hits.
Mike Deese led the charge for head coach Robbie Wine's squad. Deese, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury six games into the 2008 season, reached base in all five at-bats, garnering three hits and two walks. The senior infielder knocked in two runs in his first game in 11 months. Jordan Steranka - playing in his first game on the collegiate level - went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Grant Youngblood, who saw limited action a season ago, tallied two hits and a walk.
Mike Lorentson took the loss for Penn State. Lorentson gave up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings as a starter.
After beginning the game with an early lead, St. John's broke away from the Nittany Lions' reach in the top of the fifth when it put up four runs to go ahead 10-4. Following a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Danny Benedetti, the Red Storm's Jimmy Parque sent a Lorentson pitch over the right-center wall for a three-run homerun to give the defending Big East champions a six-run cushion.
Parque's homerun came just after Penn State cut its deficit to two runs. Youngblood and Blake Lynd touched home when a ball Wes Borden sliced to the opposite-field foul line was botched by the left fielder, allowing the Nittany Lions to become within arm's reach.
St. John's got on top by three runs early in the first frame but the Penn State offense quickly responded in the bottom of the first with three doubles. After stretching a single into a two-bagger, Landon Nakata, along with Deese, was able to score on a Michael Glantz single that split the middle infielders. A Steranka shot to rightfield ended the inning on a rare 9-6-2 putout that caught Glantz out at the plate.
Lorentson supplied a key strikeout in the second when he caught Paul Karmas looking on the outside with bases loaded.
Calvin Grumley supplied 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing no earned runs and just two hits. Jesse Alfreno outed both batters he faced with a man leering on third base in the eighth, and Drew Palen pitched a scoreless ninth in his first throws as a Nittany Lion.
Bruce Kern earned the win for the Red Storm. Kern struck out seven batters in four innings of relief.
Penn State scored two more in the bottom of the ninth inning. Deese scored his second run of the day and was pushed along by a single by Ben Heath, who gathered his first hit of the season.
Blake Lynd collected his first career hit and scored a run during the game.
The Nittany Lions stranded 13 runners on base for the game. Six players for the Red Storm had a multi-hit game.
Penn State will play its second game of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge Saturday when it faces Northwestern in St. Petersburg, Fla. at 1 p.m.
Notes: Penn State last gave up 15 runs in a 15-6 loss to Purdue on May 22, 2008 in the Big Ten Championships...Due to technical difficulties at Knology Park, GameTracker was not available during today's game. It should return for Saturday's game against the Wildcats...Fans can still pick up season by calling 814-272-1711 or going to GoPSUsportc.com