Feb. 26, 2011
RICHMOND, Ky. - Highlighted by huge performances from Ryan Clark and Sean Deegan, the Penn State baseball team split a doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky on a chilly Saturday afternoon as the Nittany Lions captured the first game, 7-1, before the Colonels fought back in the nightcap, 7-5, at Turkey Hughes Field.
After earning first-team All-Tournament honors for his performance during the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge last week, Clark picked up right where he left off for Penn State (3-2). The sophomore outfielder finished the day with three hits, including a pair of solo home runs.
Deegan also had a fantastic afternoon against Eastern Kentucky (1-4) as he went 5-for-9 with a triple, home run, and five RBI. Jordan Steranka also blasted his first long ball of the season, while Blake Lynd and Joey DeBernardis both scored twice during the twin bill.
In the first game, Steranka opened the scoring quickly in the top of the first. With two down and no one on, the junior third baseman turned on a pitch and launched a blast through the trees beyond the right field fence. The blast marked the first of the season for the Nittany Lions.
With an early advantage, Penn State had to fend off a dangerous EKU rally in the bottom of the frame. Behind a walk, single and PSU miscue, the Colonels loaded the bases with no outs. Without any margin for error, starter Heath Johnson settled in. The senior ace jammed the next three hitters, inducing three straight foul pops to end the threat and avoid any damage.
After fighting through the first-inning jam, PSU could not escape a similar situation in the second. The Colonels roped back-to-back singles to start the frame before Bryce Labhart knotted the game at one with an RBI groundout.
Despite the Eastern Kentucky resurgence, Clark made sure the game was not tied for long as he blasted a towering solo shot in the top of the third to give the squad a 2-1 edge.
Holding a one-run lead again, Johnson went back to work on the mound. Although EKU continued to put runners on base, Penn State consistently came away unscathed. The Colonels put two on in both the third and fourth and loaded the bags in the fifth, but Johnson struck out a pair and made a nice play on a liner up the middle to keep the hosts from pulling any closer.
With EKU continuing to threaten Penn State's lead, the Lions tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. PSU loaded the bases following singles by Steranka and DeBernardis along with a walk to Mario Eramo. After an Eastern Kentucky pitching change, Luis Montesinos and Bobby Jacobs continued to take advantage of some Colonel wildness as the two drew back-to-back RBI walks to extend the lead to 4-1.
One inning later, Deegan added another run after tattooing a shot to dead centerfield. The ball easily cleared the batter's eye that stands 415-feet from the plate and came crashing down near the light stanchions overlooking the track facility adjacent to the stadium.
As the offense did its job, reliever Dave Walkling was a force on the mound. After entering with two outs in the fifth, he was nearly lights-out. He worked out of a jam in the fifth, retired the side quickly in the sixth, and struck out a pair in the seventh to keep Eastern Kentucky at arm's length.
In the top of the eighth, Penn State put the game away with another two-spot. With two down, Lynd drilled an RBI double to right center that plated Jacobs. Deegan followed with a base hit up the middle that gave the Lions a convincing 7-1 edge.
With a comfortable lead, Walkling returned to the mound and capped off the contest in style. For the first time all game, he retired the Colonels in order in the eighth. Fittingly, he did the same in the ninth to close out the victory and earn his second win of the season.
Walkling finished the contest with five strikeouts during his 4.1 innings of work. Anthony Bazzani took the loss for Eastern Kentucky after allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings on the mound.
Following the victory in the first game, the nightcap started off perfectly for Penn State as the squad's momentum carried right over. In the top of the first, Clark held up on a tough check-swing and took advantage on the very next pitch with a mammoth solo shot to left center.
The defense was just as sturdy in the early going as Steranka made the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the first. With one down, he made a wonderful backhand stab on a rocket down the third base line before regrouping and firing a strike to first.
Despite the early Penn State highlights, Eastern Kentucky found its stride in the third. Following back-to-back one-out singles, Jacob Daniel landed the big blow. After EKU stranded 13 runners in the first game, Daniel made sure to clear the bases in the nightcap as he launched a three-run shot to left center, which gave the hosts a 3-1 edge.
Trailing for the first time all day, Penn State was unfazed. The squad answered with a run in the fourth after DeBernardis singled, advanced to third on a base hit by Montesinos, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Elliot Searer. One inning later, the squad continued its assault.
In the top of the fifth, Alex Farkes worked a lead-off walk before Deegan lined a triple to left center that tied the game at three. Two batters later, Steranka broke the deadlock with an RBI single to left.
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived. Eastern Kentucky came back to even the score in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Richie Rodriguez before a three-run surge in the sixth effectively iced the game. During the rally, Michael Garcia gave the Colonels a lead with an RBI single before Rodriguez returned to do even more damage with a two-run base hit that gave EKU a 7-4 advantage.
Three outs away from defeat, Penn State refused to go down without a fight. Lynd worked a lead-off walk and advanced to second on a throwing error. Deegan came through next with a single to center that chased in Lynd and pulled the team within two. Despite the late rally, PSU could not come any closer as Eastern Kentucky flipped a 6-4-3 double play to eliminate the threat.
Kyle McGrath earned the win for the Colonels after scattering four runs on seven hits in six innings of work. Ryne Purcell also earned a save for his performance, while Ryan Ignas took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings on the mound.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series tomorrow when the squads battle at noon.