March 21, 2010
ROCK HILL, S.C. - Playing its third game in the span of 24 hours, the Penn State baseball team didn't have enough as it dropped a 10-5 final to Kent State in the Coca-Cola Classic Championship Game on Sunday. Junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) hit his second home run in as many games to lead the offensive attack. The Nittany Lions now look ahead to Tuesday when they travel to Pittsburgh for a 3 p.m. game time.
Senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick, N.Y.), sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and redshirt freshman Elliot Searer (Lewistown, Pa.) all finished with two hits apiece while freshman John Walter (Haddonfield, N.J.) got the start and pitched a career-high six innings.
Kent State plated three runs in the bottom of the third inning for a 3-0 advantage. Jared Humphreys started the scoring on a wild pitch while an Anthony Gallas single scored Jimmy Rider and a David Lyon double plated Gallas. Walter averted further damage when he struck out Evan Campbell and Jordan Lucas to get out of the jam with only three crossing the plate.
Rider's third double of the game plated Humphreys from first to make it 4-0 in the fourth. Walter got out of another jam as with Rider at third and only one out, he induced a pair of groundouts to keep Penn State within four.
The NIttany Lions cut the lead in half with a pair in the fifth to make it 4-2. Freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) drove in the first run with a sharp single up the middle. Searer then scored on a fielder's choice by sophomore Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.).
It looked like Penn State would tie the score at four in the sixth, but with runners on second and third and only one out, junior Heath Johnson (Alamagordo, N.M.) hit a rocket that looked ticketed for center field. Second baseman Evan Campbell made the leaping catch, however, to keep Kent State ahead.
The Golden Flashes added to their lead with four in the sixth to make it 8-2. The big blow came from Travis Shaw, who hit a two-run home run to straightaway center field.
Kent State added one in the seventh, but Heath came back with a two-run home run in the eighth to pull within 9-4. DeBernardis later doubled and scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-5. Campbell's RBI single in the eighth accounted for the 10th and final run.
Following a Tuesday tilt at Pittsburgh, the Nittany Lions return to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for their home opener next weekend against Hofstra. Following a 3:35 p.m. start on Friday, the teams play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game Sunday. Both games are set for 12:05 p.m. Purchase your tickets today!
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.