April 8, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After senior Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.) played hero on Saturday afternoon, it was sophomore Zach Ell's (Plains, Pa.) turn on Easter Sunday. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the game tied at three, Ell doubled in freshman Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) to give the Nittany Lions their sixth-straight win.
Junior Steven Hill (Colleyville, Texas) went the distance for the Nittany Lions, allowing three runs while striking out eight hitters. Hill, who hurled his fifth-straight quality start, threw 122 pitches in the victory.
The scoring for Penn State started in the bottom of the second. Senior Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led things off with a double, which was one of three hits he had in the game. Ell collected the first of his two RBI in the game when he drove in Steranka to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. The big dent in the inning came on a two-run double to deep right centerfield by freshman JC Coban (Boca Raton, Fla.). Penn State exited the second with a 3-0 lead.
Canisius would do its damage in the fifth and seventh inning, while holding Penn State scoreless until the ninth. With two outs, Brooklyn Foster of Canisius would start things with a double and then scored on a Jose Torralba single to cut the Lion lead to 3-1. Then in the seventh, RBIs by Foster and Torralba would tie the game up at three.
With the game tied up at three in the bottom of the ninth, Novak led off with a single and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.). Ell then ripped a double to left centerfield, his third hit of the game (a career-high), to score Novak in Penn State's second straight walk-off victory.
Penn State now looks to extend its seven-game streak as it heads to Pittsburgh this Wednesday for a 6:05 p.m. matchup with the Panthers. Following Wednesday, the Nittany Lion head back to Medlar Field beginning on Friday for a critical three-game series with the Michigan Wolverines.
Next weekend's Big Ten clash with the Wolverines will include a highlight-reel of promotions. Friday will be Dollar Dog Night at the ballpark and all students will get free admission into the game as part of the Free Day Friday promotion. In addition, student season ticket holders will get free food for showing their voucher. In addition, Friday will be "Winning Weeknight Scratchoffs." The first 200 fans that show up to any weeknight game this season will receive a scratchoff ticket. Each ticket is a guaranteed winner of a Penn State Baseball prize.
Saturday will be the third annual Wounded Warrior Game. The game was developed to help create awareness for wounded warriors and their sacrifices while providing useful services to meet the needs of injured service members and their families. During the game, Penn State will wear special camouflage uniforms and hold a silent auction with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project. In addition to the silent auction, fans can purchase special Penn State baseball hats for $20 to benefit the project. Additionally, a portion of each ticket sold for the game will be donated to the cause. The Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to "honoring and empowering wounded warriors" of the U.S. Armed Forces. Its mission is to raise awareness while providing benefits such as quality healthcare, support groups, and compensation programs to the service members and their families.
Sunday will be THON Sluggers Day at the ballpark. For every student ticket purchased, all proceeds will be donated to THON 2013. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON, is a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $88 million for The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.
Season tickets for students are just $20 and each student that purchases them will receive a Penn State Baseball three-quarters sleeve t-shirt, tickets to remaining home games, free food on Friday home games and two batting practice sessions with the team.
Season tickets for Adult General Admission start at just $63. For fans interested in the "In The Box" seats, those will start at $99. Youth General Admission tickets are the same cost as student season tickets, $20. Individual game tickets for Adult General Admission start at just $4 and just $2 for youth. Single game tickets can be purchased at the Spikes' box office or via a link on the tickets page on GoPSUSports.com.
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