March 13, 2010
Box Score | Season Stats | | Listen Live | Twitter Updates | WATCH: Highlights Of Fourth Inning Rally
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Despite battling back from an early deficit, Texas State responded with 10 of the game's final 11 runs on its way to a 15-6 win over the Penn State baseball team on Saturday. The Nittany Lions evened the score at five in the fourth inning, but the Bobcats responded with 10 runs over the next two innings to break the game open. Penn State looks to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
For the second straight game, Penn State racked up double-digit hits. This time, four Lions finished with a pair - junior Bobby Jacobs (West Chester, Pa.), redshirt freshman Elliot Searer (Lewistown, Pa.) and sophomores Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Jacobs led the way with his first home run of the season along with a double. Searer also had his first-career multi-hit game in only his second-career start.
Texas State took advantage of a first inning error when Jason Martinson hit a three-run home run to right field to plate Kyle Livingstone and Kyle Kubitza.
The Bobcats made it 4-0 in the second when Tyler Sibley hit a foul fly down the right field line. Junior Heath Johnson (Alamagordo, N.M.) made a sensational catch, but Andrew Lacombe crossed the plate on the sacrifice fly.
Penn State took advantage of two Texas State errors with a pair of third-inning runs to pull within 4-2. After junior Mario Eramo (Houston, Texas) singled, Jacobs reached on an error before Searer executed a perfect bunt single. A Johnson grounder to third looked to be a double play, but after recording the out at home, catcher Jordan Kopycinski's throw to first was errant, allowing Jacobs to score. Right fielder Laurn Randell's throw to second then got away, allowing Searer to cross the plate.
Texas State got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Shaun Garcia's RBI groundout scored Livingstone to make it 5-2.
The Nittany Lions responded with three in the fourth to tie the score at five. Eramo drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring sophomore Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.). Jacobs followed with a solo home run to left field to make it 5-4. Searer then hit a single up the middle, stole second and scored on Johnson's single up the middle.
The back and forth action continued in the bottom of the inning when Sibley's single up the middle plated Laurn Randell from second to give Texas State the 6-5 advantage. The Bobcats added two more that inning to take an 8-5 lead after four full frames.
Seven Texas State runs on nine hits in the bottom of the fifth blew the game wide open. The scoring rounded out with a three-run home run from Shaun Garcia.
Penn State tacked on a run in the seventh when Steranka scored on a double play ball. Freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) and DeBernardis came into pitch scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The Nittany Lions finish their Texas road swing on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. Freshman Steven Hill (Colleyville, Texas) takes the hill against Lee Colon.
Season and individual game tickets are now available can be purchased online or over the phone. Please call 1-877-997-7453 or (814) 272-1711, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for more information. Fans can also direct any additional questions or comments via phone, or by email (psubaseball@athletics.psu.edu).
Baseball camp information is now available. Call the Sports Camp Office at (814) 865-0561 or email them at SportCampInfo@outreach.psu.edu for more information.
Follow Penn State baseball on Twitter: www.twitter.com/psubaseball.