April 13, 2014
12 Ohio State (21-15, 4-8 Big Ten) | Columbus, Ohio • Bill Davis Stadium• Attendance: 1,391 | 6 Penn State (17-16, 5-3 B1G) |
COLUMBUS, Ohio; April 13, 2014 - The Penn State Nittany Lions (17-16, 5-3 Big Ten) fell to Ohio State (21-15, 4-8 Big Ten) by a final of 12-6 for the second-straight game. The two consecutive losses mark the first time the team has lost back-to-back games since losing two games at Santa Clara on March 14 and 15.
Sunday's series finale was a slugfest, as the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes combined for 31 hits and 18 runs. Ohio State's 18 hits are the most Penn State has allowed all season.
Penn State's Ryan Richter (Wayne, Pa.) and Ryky Smith (York, Pa.) each played their best games of the season. Smith came in off the bench to go 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Richter turned in a 2-for-4 day at the plate, recording two doubles and a career-high three runs driven in.
Another notable performer was Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) who turned in his second three-hit performance of the series and added a run to cap off his performance.
Penn State squandered a great scoring opportunity out of the gate, as the Nittany Lions had runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the first and failed to plate a run. James Coates (Girard, Ohio) started the game off with a walk followed by a double to the right field wall off the bat of Snyder. The next PSU batter struck out and then Coates was thrown out at the plate off a groundball to third to end the threat.
The Buckeyes managed to convert their scoring chance in the bottom of the first. Nick Sergakis doubled to lead off the inning, followed by a one-out single through the left side of the infield from Troy Kuhn to score Sergakis to put the hosts on top 1-0.
Ohio State tacked on three more runs in the second inning to open up a four run lead. The Buckeyes used a solo home run from Josh Dezse, an RBI triple from Connor Sabanosh and a sacrifice fly from Sergakis to score their three runs.
Dezse struck again for Ohio State in the third, hitting his second solo home run of the game and third in the last two games to increase its lead to 5-0.
The Nittany Lions fought back in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs to cut their deficit to three runs. With one out, Penn State received three-straight hits to push two across the board. Smith started the rally with a single and then Ell and Richter posted back-to-back doubles to make the score 5-2.
Penn State continued the comeback charge in the ensuing fifth frame and managed to level the score at 5-5. Snyder and Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) started the inning with two-straight singles and then advanced 90 feet off a sacrifice bunt from Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.). J.J. White (Landsowne, Va.) singled to center to score Snyder followed by a double from Smith to drive in Guers and make it a one-run game. Penn State's next batter, Zach Ell (Plains, Pa.) tied the game by grounding out to shortstop to bring in White.
The deadlock was short lived, as Ohio State retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth off a hit, a hit by pitch, an intentional walk and a costly error to go back on top 6-5.
Neither side scored in the sixth inning, marking the first scoreless frame of the day. Ohio State then broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh with four runs to push its lead to 10-5. Dezse and Sergakis provided the hosts with RBI singles. Ohio State's Ronnie Dawson then doubled down the left field line to drive in two more runs and cap off its four-run frame.
Penn State got one run back in the top of the eighth, as Smith doubled to left center and then Richter followed with a double to the right center gap two batters later to score the senior from second and trim the lead to four runs at 10-6.
Ohio State added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to win by a final of 12-6.
The Blue and White return to Happy Valley and have a week to prepare for Illinois for a weekend three-game series. Friday's opener is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.