Feb. 21, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Recruited as an outfielder, Scott Kelley served as a position player for his first three seasons, sparingly utilized as a relief pitcher for two years. Now solely used as a hurler, Kelley earned a victory in his first career start, allowing just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings as the Penn State baseball team upended Northwestern 9-1 in a nonconference game amongst Big Ten schools in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions (1-1) gave up six hits and produced 12 base knocks for their first victory of the 2009 season.
Cory Wine led the way for Penn State. Wine went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, three runs and three RBIs.
Michael Glantz and Grant Youngblood each had two hits apiece for the Nittany Lions, which posted their largest victory since defeating Illinois 16-5 on April 26, 2008.
Ben Heath threw out the Wildcats' Kenneth Avila twice as Avila attempted to steal second base on the sophomore catcher.
The Penn State bullpen held the Wildcat offense scoreless in 3 1/3 innings of work. The trio of David Lutz, Mike Pierce and Paul Cianciolo allowed one hit, failed to walk any hitters and faced just 11 batters. Lutz recorded a key strikeout in the sixth inning with runners on second and third.
David Jensen took the loss for Northwestern (1-1). Jensen allowed three earned runs and walked four batters in two innings.
Penn State got on the board early in the second inning when Wes Borden drove Rick Marlin in with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Marlin led off the inning with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch and a Ryan Boonie single.
Kelley sent the first six Northwestern batters back to the dugout. Kelley got out of an early jam in the second inning with a 6-4-3 double play from the bat of Paul Schnieder. The Penn State starter struck out five and allowed three walks.
Marlin knocked in two to give Penn State a three-run lead in the third inning. Following a Jensen left the game with consecutive walks and a hit-batsman, Marlin drilled a liner into left field that scored Mike Deese and Wine.
The Nittany Lions experienced their biggest inning of the game in the sixth when Youngblood, Louie Picconi and Glantz singled. Wine sent both two runners home with a triple that went deep into right field. Wine came home soon thereafter on a wild pitch by Michael Jahns.
Penn State scored its final two runs of the game in the eighth inning. Bobby Jacobs led off the inning with a lead-off single and was brought home by Wine's first double of the season. Youngblood moved Wine home with his second hit.
Sean Deegan had his first hit of his collegiate career in the ninth inning when he singled to start the inning off.
Penn State returns to action Sunday at 10 a.m. when it faces Seton Hall in Clearwater, Fla.