March 12, 2010
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SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State took advantage of 15 walks and four hit-by-pitches on its way to a 20-6 win over the Penn State baseball team on Friday evening. Sophomore Joey DeBernardis' (Lake Zurich, Ill.) three-run home run cut the Bobcats' lead to 4-3, but Penn State pitchers couldn't find the strike zone in the fourth as Texas State scored six times and wouldn't look back. The Lions are back in action at 3 p.m. ET Saturday looking to snap their five-game losing skid.
The Penn State offense did break out with 14 hits and six runs after scoring six runs the previous four games. Six Nittany Lions finished with a pair of hits - senior Louie Picconi (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), juniors Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) and Bobby Jacobs (West Chester, Pa.) and sophomores DeBernardis, Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) and Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
Junior Mario Eramo (Houston, Texas) also chipped in with a pair of RBI on a single and sacrifice fly. DeBernardis' home run was the second of his career while he also drove in a career-high three.
Texas State took a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first when Kyle Livingstone hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to score Bret Atwood. Shaun Garcia's two-out RBI single up the middle scored Jason Martinson for the third run of the game.
The Bobcats made it 4-0 following back-to-back two-out triples. Tyler Sibley got it started before Atwood sliced one down the right field line that stayed just fair.
Penn State pulled to within 4-3 in the fourth behind DeBernardis' first home run of the season, a three-run shot on the first pitch of the at-bat. The Nittany Lions later loaded the bases with two outs, but Bobcats starter Michael Russo got out of the jam.
Texas State took advantage of Penn State wildness with a six-spot in the fourth for a 10-3 advantage. Three hit by pitches, three walks, two hits and an error off three different Nittany Lion pitchers led to the six runs. Junior Mike Pierce (State College, Pa.) minimized the damage, coming into the bases loaded jam while only allowing two inherited runners to score.
Eramo's fifth-inning single to center field plated Deegan to make it 10-4, but the Bobcats added a pair in the sixth and seventh innings to open a 14-4 advantage.
Eramo drove in his second run in the seventh with a long sacrifice fly to left field to score Steranka. A perfectly executed hit and run single by Jacobs then scored Heath to make it 14-6.
Texas State walked four times with one hit by pitch in the seventh, scoring six more times to take a 20-6 advantage. The first hit of the inning came from Andrew Stumph, a grand slam to left field.
Penn State looks to even the series Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET with freshman Neal Herring (West Chester, Pa.) set to take the hill against Brian Borski.
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