April 27, 2010
Box Score | Season Stats | Wounded Warrior Benefit Game This Saturday
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team outhit the La Salle Explorers, 11-6 on Tuesday night, but could only produce two runs as it fell, 3-2, in a nonconference matchup at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The combination of juniors Calvin Grumley (Johnsonburg, Pa.) and Mike Pierce (State College, Pa.) tossed five scoreless innings out of the bullpen, but it wasn't enough as La Salle's three-run second inning proved to be the difference. The Nittany Lions (17-23, 4-8 Big Ten) now look ahead to a big weekend home series against Michigan State beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m.
Redshirt freshman Elliot Searer (Lewistown, Pa.), freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) and sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) all finished 2-for-4 to lead the offensive attack. Searer and Snyder are now a combined 16-for-30 ever since being slotted 1-2 in the lineup.
While Searer extended his on-base streak to 21 games, junior Ben Heath failed to reach base for the first time since Mar. 14 at Texas State, ending his on-base streak at 26 games.
Freshman John Walter (Readington, N.J.) pitched the first four innings opposite La Salle's Dan Klem, allowing three runs on four hits.
Neither bullpen allowed a run as the Explorers' pen tossed five scoreless innings as well, finished off by Pat Christensen, who earned his seventh save of the season.
The Explorers got on the board first in the second as they loaded the bases for Kevin Jones, who hit a sacrifice fly to score Jon Gyles for the 1-0 lead. With two outs and runners on second and third, Mike Canfarotta drove a single to center that cleared the bases to make it 3-0 in favor of La Salle.
The Lions quickly responded as junior Mario Eramo (Houston, Texas) hit a deep home run that cleared the right field bleachers to close the lead to 3-1. The long ball was Eramo's third in as many games. The inning ended when sophomore Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) was caught stealing for the first time all season. The Lions continued to struggle on the bases paths when Searer was thrown out trying to extend a third-inning double into a triple.
DeBernardis started the bottom of the fourth inning with a ground rule double to deep left-center. He moved to third on Eramo's groundout and scored when junior Bobby Jacobs (West Chester, Pa.) hit a single up the middle to narrow the margin to 3-2.
La Salle was threatening in the sixth when it drew three straight walks to load the bases for Gyles. Grumley quickly got out of the jam though, when sophomore third baseman Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) caught a sharp line drive and doubled up the runner at second base.
The Nittany Lions remain home to conclude a seven-game homestand with consecutive weekend series against Michigan State and Iowa. Penn State hosts the Spartans this weekend on Friday (6:35 p.m.), Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and Sunday (1:05 p.m.). Saturday is also the first Wounded Warrior Benefit Game to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, apolitical organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org. 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.