May 11, 2013
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Despite a late-game rally with four runs scored between the seventh and eighth innings, the Penn State baseball team dropped a Big Ten contest, 8-6, to Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions (12-33, 3-17 Big Ten) will complete the three-game conference set against the Illini (30-15, 11-9 Big Ten) tomorrow, May 12 at noon ET at Illinois Field.
The Illini were led at the plate by Davis Hendrickson and Brandon Hohl, each going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Hendrickson also tallied a triple while Hohl notched a double, with Jason Goldstein collecting one hit and two RBIs, as well. Thomas Lindauer went 2-for-3 with one run and an RBI, while Jordan Parr collected one hit, one run and an RBI. Although Justin Parr was held to just one hit, the senior extended his NCAA-leading hitting streak to 33 games.
Four Nittany Lions collected doubles during the conference contest, including freshman James Coates (Girard, Ohio) and sophomore Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.), who each went 2-for-4 on the day. Coates collected a run and an RBI, as did fellow freshman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.), while Novak tallied a run and kept an eight-game hitting streak alive. Junior Alex Farkes (Boston, Mass.) and redshirt junior Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) each went 2-for-5 with a run scored, with Farkes notching his second double of the season and Snyder also earning an RBI. Collecting one run, one hit and an RBI, junior Zach Ell (Plains, Pa.) posted his third double of the season, while senior Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.) recorded one hit and an RBI.
Holding a 4-1 lead by the conclusion of the second inning, the Illini went on to extend Penn State's scoring deficit by three runs in the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third, Hendrickson stepped up to the plate with two outs and knocked a base hit to left field to bring home Hohl for his second run of the contest. Goldstein followed up with a two-RBI single to right field, bringing home David Kerian and Hendrickson for a 7-1 lead heading into the fourth inning.
Penn State began to chip away at Illinois' lead in the top of the fifth, with Ell doubling to right center and moving to third on bunt single from Snyder. As Coates grounded out to Kerian, Ell crossed home plate to move the score to 7-2 in favor of the Illini. A three-run showing in the top of the seventh would give the Lions life, as a lead-off double from Novak kick-started a late-game rally. Snyder ripped a base hit to center field to bring home the sophomore, and a consecutive single from Coates would put runners on first and third as Montesinos came to the plate. Posting the fourth hit of the inning, the senior would bat in Snyder for his 22nd RBI of the season, resting the score at 7-4 with just one out for the Lions. Coates would score his 22nd run on the next play during a 1-3 groundout from sophomore J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.), cutting Illinois' lead to two runs.
Answering in the bottom of the inning, Hendrickson led off with his triple to right field, and went on to score on a base hit to left field from Lindauer. The Lions responded immediately, however, tallying a run in the top of the eighth to set the score at 8-6. Collecting his second hit of the contest for his third multiple-hit game of the season, Kendall ripped up a hit up the middle, and went on to advance to second on a wild pitch. The rookie would cross home plate on a fielder's choice RBI from Ell, but it would prove to be Penn State's final run of the contest.
Freshman Ryan Castellanos earned the win for the Illini, firing 6.1 innings with eight hits and four earned runs allowed. Castellanos struck out three before he was relieved by Anthony Milazzo, who allowed one hit and one earned run. Nick Blackburn and Ronnie Muck combined for 2.2 innings of relief, with Muck earning his second save of the season after 2.0 innings of work. The junior gave up two hits and one earned run while striking out one batter and walking two.
Suffering the loss for the Lions, junior Greg Welsh (Holland, Pa.) went for 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits and six earned runs with one strikeout. Coming out of the bullpen for Penn State, senior Neal Herring (West Chester, Pa.) and junior Ian Parvin (Irvine, Calif.) combined for 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, with Herring holding the Illini hitless. Redshirt senior Cody Lewis (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) once again had a strong showing to close, firing 2.0 innings with two hits and one earned run allowed with three strikeouts.
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