March 17, 2015
| PENN STATE AT PITTSBURGH | |
| Tuesday, Mar. 17 - 6:00 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh | |
| Charles L. Cost Field | Pittsburgh, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
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Game Notes: Penn State | PittStatistics: Penn State | Pitt
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -Playing its final of 15 road games to start the season, Penn State travels to Pittsburgh Tuesday for a midweek contest at 6 p.m.
Coverage: Live video and live stats will be available on www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
All-Time Series: Penn State holds a commanding 83-42-1 all-time advantage over Pitt, but the Panthers prevailed in the last two meetings, winning 10-8 at Medlar Field in 2013 and splitting a home-and-home series in 2012. The Lions and Panthers have split the last six meetings, but PSU has won seven out of the last 10. This will be Penn State's first trip to Pittsburgh since the 2012 loss.
On Deck: Penn State will open its home slate Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. against Canisius.
Panthers at a Glance: Pitt is 3-3 against ranked teams this season, earning a win over top-ranked Virginia two weeks ago and taking two-of-three from No. 11 North Carolina last weekend.
Last Time Out: Penn State lost three games at the Liberty Invitational by a total of four runs. The Lions suffered a 4-2 setback in the opener against Western Carolina, and then dropped two against Liberty by one run. PSU lost a three-run lead Saturday before battling back and tying the game as Ryan Richter hit a two RBI-triple. However, a hit batsmen forced in the winning-run in the bottom of the ninth for the Flames. The Lions were unable to make an early 1-0 lead last beyond the seventh inning Sunday, ultimately surrenduring a pair of runs in the eighth that proved to be the difference. PSU scratched one run across in the ninth, but was unable to force the bottom of the ninth for the second consecutive game.
Cold Snap: The Nittany Lions are looking to work out of a slump at the plate, batting .198 and scoring 13 runs in their last five games since scoring 18 in a win over Charleston Southern (3/6).
Rookies on the Mound: Penn State has used nine first-year pitchers so far this season, and they have combined to account for 55.2 percent of innings pitched (63 1/3 IP). The Lion rotation includes two true freshmen: LHP Taylor Lehman and RHP Nick Distasio. Both are from head coach Rob Cooper's first recruiting class. Lehman was drafted in the 34th round of the MLB draft in June by the Florida Marlins, but did not sign. He stands at a towering 6-8. Distasio and Lehman are both Pennsylvania natives. Freshmen Sal Biasi and Marko Boricich are two of Cooper's most reliable arms in the bullpen.
Gamecocks Prove Tough: No. 7 South Carolina lived up to its ranking, earning a two-game sweep of the Nittany Lions. LHP Geoff Boylston had a career game in the opener Tuesday, holding the Gamecocks to three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts, but USC was able to shutout PSU for the 3-0 win. The Gamecock bats came to life Thursday while their pitching continued to be stellar in a 13-3 victory.
Nine for Novak: From Feb. 14 (Game 2) at Elon to Mar. 11 at No. 7 South Carolina, Aaron Novak assembled a career-best nine-game hitting streak. Novak batted .548 (17-for-31) with three homers, three doubles and 10 RBIs. His on-base percentage wa .611 and his slugging percentage was .935.
Super Novak: At Charleston Southern, Aaron Novak became the fourth Nittany Lion to tally eight RBIs in a game (first since 1984), as he tallied two home runs and doubled as part of a 4-for-5 day at the plate. The totals were career highs, and his eight RBIs matched a team record. It was also his first game of the season in the cleanup role. Novak had at least two hits in all three games this past weekend, going 8-for-12 (.667), and he also walked once and was hit by a pitch for a .714 weekend on-base percentage.
First Win: Freshman RHP Marko Boricich earned his first career win with 4 1/3 innings of relief at Charleston Southern (3/6). He entered in a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning when CSU had already tied the game at 5-5 with three runs earlier in the frame. His lone run allowed was a solo home run by Sly Edwards, and he yielded a total of three hits and two walks, while striking out four.
Put'em On the Board: The 18 runs scored Sunday at Charleston Southern were the most for the Lions since April 24, 2010 against Ohio State.
Never Say Die: Clutch hitting was key for Penn State 18-6 win over Charleston Southern, as 13 of its 18 runs scored came with two outs.
Spring Break Opener: Penn State claimed the finale of a three-game series at Charleston Southern (3/8) for its first win of the season, 18-6. Led by a 4-for-5 day at the plate with two home runs and a team-record tying eight RBIs by Aaron Novak, Penn State broke a tie game open in the sixth inning. Despite a strong seven-inning start by RHP Nick Hedge Friday in the series opener, the Lions were unable to overcome CSU runs in the first two innings, as they were defeated, 2-0. PSU failed to score a run despite advancing a runner to third base with less than two outs four times, including loading the bases with no outs twice. The Nittany Lion offense got going Sunday with five runs, fighting back from early deficits to tie the game twice, but CSU scored two runs in the eighth to win 7-5.
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