March 21, 2010
Box Score | Season Stats | Columbia Recap | Sunday vs. Kent State (10 a.m.): | Listen Live
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Eddie Rohan's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning ended a wild day of baseball as Winthrop topped Penn State, 14-13, in a four-hour marathon on Saturday night at the Coca-Cola Classic. The Eagles came back from 4-0 and 8-3 deficits to take a 12-8 lead, but the Nittany Lions, who were playing their second game of the day, staged a spirited comeback to force extra innings. Despite the loss, Penn State does advance to face Kent State in the Championship Game on Sunday, now set for 10 a.m.
The Nittany Lions' walk-off win on Saturday morning against Columbia means Penn State has now seen six of its first 15 games (40 percent) end via a walk-off, three in the Lions' favor. The squad has also played four extra-inning games.
Penn State jumped out to an early advantage, but a seven-run fifth inning turned the tides in Winthrop's favor. Junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) led the way offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with a grand slam home run, two runs scored and seven RBI. He also walked twice.
Three other players racked up multiple hits, including sophomore Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who reached base five times, going 3-for-4 with two walks, an RBI and career-high four runs scored. Sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and junior Mario Eramo (Houston, Texas) also had a pair of hits while Eramo finished with a career-high four RBI.
Penn State came out swinging in the top of the first, batting around while scoring four times to take a 4-0 advantage. The inning took nearly 30 minutes, starting with leadoff man Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) and ending with Deegan as the Lions racked up four hits with three walks to knock out Winthrop starter Dom Patterozzi after only 0.1 innings.
Steranka drove in the first run with a sharp double to right field. After Heath and DeBernardis both walked, Eramo followed with a bases-clearing double to center field.
Winthrop reliever Matt Pierpont came in with the bases loaded and only one out, but he struck out two consecutive hitters to get out of the jam without any further runs scoring.
The Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the second to cut Penn State's lead in half while adding a single run in the third. Sean Sullivan scored on a bases loaded walk while Tyler McBride crossed the plate on a two-out groundout. Then, Sullivan's RBI single in the third pulled Winthrop to within 4-3.
The Nittany Lions loaded the bases in the fourth inning for Heath, who proceeded to hit his first-career grand slam, a rocket to left field, making it 8-3 in favor of Penn State. Freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.), Deegan and Steranka all scored in front of Heath's fifth home run of the season.
Rohan answered with a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning, a two-run shot to pull the Eagles within 8-5.
Winthrop took advantage of wildness from Penn State pitchers with a seven spot in the fifth to take its first lead of the game, 12-8. The Nittany Lions issued six walks with the big blow coming from Sean Sullivan, whose double down the left field line plated two.
Penn State came right back with two of its own in the top of the sixth to pull within 12-10. Heath drove in senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick. N.Y.) via a sacrifice fly while DeBernardis' double scored Steranka.
The Eagles scored a single run in the bottom of the inning to make it 13-10, but the Nittany Lions fought back with three in the top of the seventh off Winthrop preseason All-American closer Tyler Mizenko to tie the score at 13. Two walks and a single loaded the bases while Heath drove in two with a sharp single to center. Eramo tied the score with an RBI groundout.
Redshirt senior David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) was strong out of the bullpen, pitching 2.1 one-hit innings while being handed the hard luck loss.
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