May 7, 2010
Box Score | Season Stats | WATCH: Postgame Video | |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Early-inning hitting coupled with strong pitching from redshirt senior Mike Wanamaker (Upper Nyack, N.Y.) led the Penn State baseball team over Iowa, 6-2, for its sixth consecutive Big Ten win on Friday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. In a contest that was nationally televised on the Big Ten Network, the Nittany Lions (21-23, 8-8 Big Ten) did not disappoint, scoring six runs in the game's first three innings while riding a season-high eight innings and career-high 10 strikeouts from Wanamaker. The teams reconvene for game two of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m.
With the win, the Nittany Lions move within a single game of first place, currently held by Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern, who are 9-7 in Big Ten play. Iowa (19-25, 6-10 Big Ten), currently in 10th place, is still within three games of first.
Coming off two weekly honors, including cracking the National All-Star Lineup, freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) continued his torrid hitting, going 4-for-5 to tie a career-high along with a triple, RBI and run scored to pace the offensive attack. Snyder is now 16-for-24 (.666) over his last five games and 22-for-35 (.629) over his last seven. The true freshman now has multiple hits in each of his last seven contests.
Sophomore Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also registered a triple, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI. Fellow sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) went 1-for-2, including an RBI while Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Junior Bobby Jacobs (West Chester, Pa.) rounded out the offense, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Wanamaker was stellar on the hill in his ninth start of the season, improving his record to 4-2. The right-hander set a new career-high in strikeouts, sending 10 Hawkeye batters back to the dugout, while allowing just two earned runs and surrendering no walks in eight full innings. He shattered his previous career-high of seven punchouts, last accomplished vs. Iowa nearly two years ago to the day, on May 9, 2008. Senior David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) came on in the ninth, sending the Hawkeyes packing with one strikeout while facing four batters. It marked his 30th appearance of the season to break the school's single-season record, previously held by Matt Ogrodnik in 2007.
The Lions got on the board early as Snyder turned on the jets for an infield single, and proceeded to steal second. Steranka connected with a full-count triple down the right field line, scoring Snyder. After junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) walked, DeBernardis singled through the right side, scoring Snyder. Jacobs proceeded to single through the left side, plating Heath to give the Lions a 3-0 advantage.
The Penn State offense continued in the second, as senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick, N.Y.) worked a walk to lead off the inning, and Snyder connected for another single, good for his seventh straight multi-hit performance. Steranka followed with his second hit in as many innings, a single through the left side to score Picconi and put the Lions up 4-0.
Things continued to go the Lions' way in the third, as junior shortstop Michael Glantz (Marietta, Ga.) reached on an error to open the inning, then a Deegan single through the right side put runners on the corners with no outs. A Picconi RBI groundout to third then scored Glantz for a 5-0 lead. Following Deegan's 24th stolen base of the season, he scored on a Snyder triple to give the Lions a 6-0 advantage through three full.
The Hawkeyes would get one back in the top of the fourth to cut the Penn State lead to five, and register another in the top of the seventh. Reliever Zach Kenyon shut down the Lions' offense through the final five innings, but that was the extent of the Iowa offense as Penn State's run total stood up.
The Nittany returns to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for two more contests with the Hawkeyes, on Saturday (4 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.). The Big Ten Network will continue to broadcast all the action for the rest of the weekend. 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.