March 31, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State baseball team dropped its Big Ten series to Purdue, falling 7-5 on Sunday afternoon in the third and final contest. The Nittany Lions (5-18, 0-6 Big Ten) and the Boilermakers (10-14, 3-3 Big Ten) battled in the rain at Medlar Field, with the Boilers pulling ahead with two runs in the top of the eighth to seal the win.
Leading the Lions on the mound, junior Greg Welsh (Holland, Pa.) had a solid performance in the fifth start of his career. Welsh fired a career-high 8.0 innings, allowing nine hits and three earned runs while walking three. The junior also posted a career-best performance of 11 strikeouts in a single game, topping his previous record of six set in 2011. Sophomore Ryan Harper (Texas City, Texas) closed out the contest for Penn State, holding the Boilers hitless in the ninth inning and striking out one.
Relief pitcher Mike Lutz earned the win for Purdue, improving to a 4.43 ERA and a 1-2 record on the season. Lutz held the Lions scoreless in 4.1 innings, allowing just four hits after stepping in for starter Brad Schreiber. Schrieber went 4.2 innings with two earned runs and five hits, striking out nine and walking four.
The Lions drew first blood after shutting down the Boilers in the top of the second with a 1-6-3 double play. Junior Alex Farkes (Boston, Mass.) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded, ripping a hit straight up the middle to bat in redshirt freshman Ryky Smith (York, Pa.) from second and sophomore J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) from third. Farkes' 15th and 16th career RBIs would give Penn State a 2-0 lead heading into the third.
Seeming to pull away over the next two innings, Purdue would go on to score three unanswered runs before extending its lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles from junior Sean McHugh and redshirt freshman Kyle Wood help set up Jack Picchiotti, with Kyle Johnson intentionally walked the play before the freshman's appearance at the plate. Picchiotti reached on a fielder's choice, allowing McHugh to score with Johnson out on the play. Wood would score the Boilers' fifth run moments later, stealing home as Picchiotti stole second to distract the Penn State defense.
Penn State refused to back down, however, finally retaliating in the bottom of the inning with three runs. Redshirt junior Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) set things in motion with a hard-hit triple to the right field wall, his first of the season, followed by both freshman James Coates (Girard, Ohio) and White being walked by Schreiber. Posting a two-RBI hit for the second consecutive game, senior Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.) singled to right field to allow Snyder and Coates to score. Now down just one run, Smith went on to reach first on an infield throwing error, with White advancing home on the play for his 10th run of the season. The game was now tied at 5-5 heading into the sixth inning.
The Lions held off the Boilers the next two innings, with Snyder recording the play of the game in the top of the sixth. As sophomore Brandon Kreig slammed a hit deep into center field, the junior sprinted towards the wall, reaching up and diving to make the catch for the first out. Welsh went on to strikeout Jake Hansen and Stephen Talbott to end the inning, holding Purdue hitless.
Despite loading the bases on one out in the bottom of the sixth, with consecutive infield singles from Snyder and Coates, Penn State was unable to score to break the 5-5 tie. With two outs and runners on second and third for the Boilers in the eighth, Hansen reached on an infield throwing error. The play allowed Cody Strong and Johnson to score two unearned runs, with Purdue taking a 7-5 lead. The Lions failed to score in the next two innings, give the Boilers' their third straight Big Ten win.
Farkes and Montesinos led the Lions, each earning two RBIs on single hits. White tallied two runs in the contest, with Snyder, Coates and Smith scoring, as well.
Penn State will head back out on the road on Wednesday, April 3 to face Kent State before returning to Happy Valley to host Wright State. The weekend series will begin on Friday, April 5 at 6:05 p.m. at Medlar Field. The Lions will face Kent State and Bucknell at home before returning to Big Ten play on Friday, April 12 at Michigan.
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