May 22, 2010
Box Score | Final Season Stats
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Despite holding a 4-3 lead after six full innings, the Michigan bats exploded for four runs in the seventh to down the Penn State baseball team, 7-4 on Saturday's Senior Day at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) spearheaded the offense with a 3-for-5 effort, including a career-high two doubles. The Nittany Lions finish the season at 22-30, 9-15 in the Big Ten while the Wolverines (34-20, 14-10 Big Ten) now look ahead to next week's conference tournament.
The 2010 season featured a number of highlights, including six walk-off wins, a comeback victory over nationally-ranked Pittsburgh and triumph over preseason top-40 squad Dallas Baptist. Junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) broke the school's 32-year home run record while redshirt freshman Elliot Searer (Lewistown, Pa.) tied the single-game record for hits in a game with five at Ohio State. Senior David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) broke two appearance records while the team tied the school record for triples in a season with 18. The squad also won six straight conference games for the first time since 2007, outscoring its opponents, 87-31, in that span.
Junior Heath Johnson (Almagordo, N.M.) impressed on the mound in his first-career start, allowing three runs (all earned) in a career-high five innings. After Michigan starter Brandon Sinnery was touched up for seven hits and four runs over 1.1 frames, Matt Miller dominated in 7.2 shutout innings for his third win of the season.
Snyder's three-hit game was his 19th multi-hit effort of the season. It also marked his seventh game of three or more hits, all coming in the final 14 contests. Searer and sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) also wrapped up stellar campaigns with two-hit efforts. Heath walked and doubled, finishing the season with 37 extra-base hits via 16 two-baggers and his new Penn State record 19 home runs.
Sophomores Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) along with junior Michael Glantz (Marietta, Ga.) and senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick, N.Y.) also recorded hits in the defeat.
Relieving Johnson in the sixth was junior Mike Pierce (State College, Pa.), who breezed through the sixth before running into trouble in the seventh. Freshman John Walter (Haddonfield, N.J.) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while senior Lutz followed with 0.2 perfect frames. He finishes his career as the Penn State single-season and career appearance record with 36 and 85, respectively. His historic career ended in grand fashion, striking out Anthony Toth in the ninth. Freshman Neal Herring (West Chester, Pa.) came in to record the final out of the ninth.
Michigan started the game with two quick first-inning runs. Searer responded in the home half with a double to right-center field. Snyder drove him in with a double of his own. After Steranka moved Snyder to third, Heath earned the Lions' third double of the inning, scoring Snyder to tie the score at two. Heath eventually came home on junior Mario Eramo's (Houston, Texas) RBI groundout to make it 3-2 Penn State.
The Wolverines responded with a run in the second inning when a John Lorenz sacrifice fly plated Mike Dufek to even the score at three. Penn State came right back in the bottom of the inning when Snyder's second double in as many innings scored Deegan for a 4-3 advantage.
From that point forward, both Johnson and Miller settled down, tossing zeroes through the middle innings.
Finally, in the seventh inning, it was Michigan who pulled ahead, scoring four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Ryan LaMarre's two-out single scored a pair while Chris Berset scored two more with a single of his own.
Penn State threatened with runners on base in both the eighth and ninth, but it wasn't enough.
It was senior day with Gordon Atkisson, Jack Greenberg, David Lutz, Louie Picconi, Mike Wanamaker and Sebastian Saraceno all honored prior to the game.
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.
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