March 30, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team fell in a heartbreaker to Purdue on Saturday, dropping the extra-inning contest 5-4. The Nittany Lions (5-17, 0-5 Big Ten) put up two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game, but were unable to fight off the Boilermakers (9-14, 2-3 Big Ten) in the 10th. Sunday's contest, originally scheduled for 1:05 p.m., has been moved up to 11:05 a.m. due to impending weather.
The Boilers scored their game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning, following the Nittany Lions posting a remarkable comeback performance in the bottom of the ninth. With runners on first and second, junior Sean McHugh singled through the left side to bring home senior Stephen Talbott for a 5-4 advantage. The PSU offense was unable to score in the bottom of the inning, giving Purdue its second Big Ten victory of the series. Brett Andrzejewski earned the win for his squad, firing two scoreless innings of relief to move to a 1-1 record on the season. Starter Robert Ramer went for 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
Senior Steven Hill (Colleyville, Texas) made his sixth start of the season against the Boilers, throwing 7.0 innings with eight hits and three earned runs. Redshirt senior Cody Lewis (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and redshirt sophomore Geoff Boylston (West Chester, Pa.) combined for 1.0 scoreless inning of relief, while redshirt senior Dave Walkling (Nanaimo, B.C.) suffered the loss for the Lions. Walkling allowed just two hits and one earned run in 2.0 innings and struck out three.
Purdue was first to get on the scoreboard, tallying two runs in the top of the fourth. With a double from freshman Kyle Johnson, Angelo Cianfrocco was able to advance home from second to put the Boilers up 1-0. As Jack Picchiotti rested on third, junior Connor Hudnall ripped a hit up the middle to bat in the rookie for a 2-0 lead. The Boilers would rack up a 4-0 lead by the end of the top fifth before the Lions responded.
Playmaker Ryky Smith (York, Pa.) kicked off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field, the first of his career, giving Penn State some much needed momentum. The redshirt freshman was able to advance to third following a ground out play from junior Sam August (Needham, Mass.), and moved the score to 4-1 on a sac fly from freshman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.). Kendall would post his second RBI of the contest in the bottom of the seventh, slamming a double to left field to bring home freshman James Coates (Girard, Ohio) from second. It was Kendall's first multiple-RBI game of his career and Coates' 12th run of the season.
With Walkling able to hold the Boilers scoreless in the top of the ninth, Penn State entered the seemingly final inning with just a two-run deficit. Smith led off with his third hit of the game, singling to right center before August was walked by Purdue's Patrick Kenney. Alex Farkes (Boston, Mass.) came in to pinch run for August, with a sac bunt from Kendall moving the junior to second and Smith to third. With two runners in scoring position, senior Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.) stepped up to pinch hit, hitting a vital single through the left side to bring home Smith. Farkes then rounded third on the throw, and dove across home plate to tie the game up at 4-4 and complete the dramatic comeback.
"I was really happy with the way we came back and scored those two runs," said head coach Robbie Wine. "We could have rolled over, but we didn't. We're fighting and that's what we're made of. That's the kind of team we are."
Despite the Lions battling in the ninth, Purdue's single run in the top of the 10th would prove to be the final score of the contest. Smith led Penn State in the 5-4 loss, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Kendall went 1-for-1, earning two RBIs and posting his first double, sac hit and sac fly.
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