March 12, 2014
13 Fresno State (12-4) | Fresno, Calif. • Beiden Field • Attendance: 1,385 | 3 Penn State (4-9) |
FRESNO, Calif.; March 11, 2014 - Penn State junior first baseman J.J. White (Landsowne, Va.) launched a three-run homer over the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning to put the Nittany Lions back into the game at 6-3. Unfortunately, Fresno State scored a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to go on to win by a final of 13-3.
White's home run was the first of his Penn State career and the first home run a Nittany Lion has hit during the 2014 season. The junior's three RBIs are tied for the most he has had in a single game in his collegiate career.
Two other members of the Blue and White to have successful days at the dish were Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) and Zach Ell (Plains, Pa.). Both outfielders notched two-hit performances. In the effort, Snyder increased his current hit streak to nine games and Ell extended his hitting streak to a career-high six consecutive games.
Fresno State held the Nittany Lions scoreless in the top of the first and wasted little time getting onto the scoreboard, putting up two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Bulldogs used two hits and a walk to produce their first two runs.
Penn State's starting pitcher Nick Hedge (Winnetka, Ill.) then tossed a scoreless second and third innings before running into trouble in the fourth. After striking out the leadoff hitter, PSU gave up a double and a walk. Fresno State's Ryan Dobson hit into a potential inning-ending double play but after getting the out at 2nd, the Lions threw the ball away allowing a run to come in and the inning to continue. The hosts made the Lions pay, tacking on two more runs off a single and double to increase their lead to 5-0.
Fresno State increased its lead to six runs off a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to make the score 6-0, heading into the final four frames.
In the sixth inning the Nittany Lion offense went to work and cut into the Bulldogs' lead. Snyder and Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.) recorded back-to-back singles to start the frame. With one out White stepped into the box and turned on a pitch to blast a three-run homer over the left field wall to cut the host's lead in half at 6-3.
Neither team scored in its next at bat and then the hosts pushed their lead to four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. With runners on first and second and two outs the Bulldogs' Jake Stone drove a ball to the right-center gap that one-hopped the wall for a ground-rule double to score Trent Woodward and give the hosts a 7-3 advantage.
The Bulldogs' bats exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break the game open with a score of 13-3. Fresno State scored its six runs off five hits and an error and went on to cruise to a 10-run victory.
Penn State returns to Beiden Field tomorrow night for the final game of the two-game set against Fresno State. The game is scheduled to start at 9:35 p.m. ET.