March 22, 2015
| 21 | |
| 4 | 5 |
| 12 Innings | Medlar Field | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 452 | |
| 21 | |
| 13 | 7 |
| Medlar Field | University Park, Pa. | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments (Coming Soon) |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion faithful that braved the cold at Medlar Field were rewarded with a thrilling baseball doubleheader Sunday, as Penn State went 12 innings with No. 21 Indiana in the first game, a 5-4 defeat, but rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the second game to win, 13-7.
Following the Game 1 loss, Penn State (4-14, 1-1 B1G) was 0-6 in games against nationally-ranked opponents this season and had dropped its last 12, but its 13 unanswered runs in the nightcap, including 10 combined in the seventh and eighth innings, lifted the Lions to their first win over a ranked foe since defeating No. 19 Purdue on April 1, 2012. It was also their first ranked win at home since defeating No. 24 Pittsburgh on April 13, 2010.
Indiana (15-5), the two-time defending Big Ten Champions who reached the College World Series in 2013, factored into Penn State's woes against ranked opponents recently, but saw its eight-game winning streak against PSU end, as well its 12-game winning streak this season.
For the day, Penn State got big performances offensively from shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.), who went 6-for-11 with a double and three-RBI triple, designated hitter Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.), who went 4-for-8 with four RBIs and two walks, and right fielder Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.), who went 3-for-8 with three RBIs and three walks. The bullpen yielded just two runs in 12 innings of work, including a dominant 3 1/3 inning effort by RHP Sal Biasi (Wilkes Barre, Pa.) in which he struck out his first six batters faced.
The Hoosiers were the dominant team at the start of the second game, scoring two runs in the first inning, adding another in the third and then adding four in the fourth inning when centerfielder Craig Dedelow slugged the very first pitch from LHP Marko Boricich (Chicago, Ill.) into the right field seats for a grand slam. The freshman did not allow another Hoosier to reach over the next 2 2/3 innings though, giving the Lion offense a chance to rally.
The comeback began in the bottom half of the fourth inning with no one on and two outs. First baseman J.J. White (Lansdwne, Va.) walked, Haley singled and then Helsel singled to score White. The fifth inning was scoreless, but a pair of Hoosier errors led to another Lion run in the sixth. PSU then scored four in the seventh inning on just two hits and four Indiana errors. Novak singled through the right side with the bases loaded to drive in the first two runs of the frame, and then an error and a wild pitch scored the final two to pull the Lions within one run, 7-6.
Penn State broke the game open in the eighth, scoring seven runs on five hits and two errors. With one out, catcher Alex Malinsky (Apex, N.C.) reached on an error and second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.) singled, allowing left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) to drive in Malinsky for the tying run. Guers moved to second on a wild pitch, forcing Indiana to intentionally walk Novak to load the bases. After a pitching change, White was hit by a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run, and then Haley took advantage of Medlar Field's spacious gap in left field, roping a triple to clear the bases for an 11-7 lead. An RBI-single from Helsel and a bases-loaded walk by Skerpon concluded the scoring, as PSU sent 13 batters to the plate.
RHP Tom Mullin (Springfield, Pa.) (1-0) earned his first career win, holding Indiana to just a hit and a walk over the final three innings, striking out two. RHP Brian Hobbie (3-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Had a few breaks gone Penn State's way in the first game, the Lions would have earned a series sweep.
Indiana only scored runs in the second and 12th innings. In the second, shortstop Isaiah Pasteur singled to centerfield with two outs for two RBIs, and then a dropped fly ball scored two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
Penn State answered in the bottom of the fourth when Helsel singled to drive in two runs and halve the deficit to 4-2. Third baseman Ryky Smith (York, Pa.) sacrificed Helsel home from third for another run, and then PSU tied it in the fifth inning on an RBI-single by Novak.
Neither team would score until the 12th inning when designated hitter Scott Donley singled home Dedelow, who had led the inning off with a double and advanced to third on a fly out, for the winning run.
The Lion's best chance to go ahead was in the eighth inning, when they left the bases loaded following a failed squeeze bunt attempt, on which Novak was tagged out by barely a step at home.
LHP Austin Foote (1-0) earned the win with a strikeout in the bottom of the 11th, while RHP Ryan Halstead earned his fourth save of the season with a perfect 12th. RHP Nick Distasio (Oley, Pa.) (0-3) suffered the loss after yielding three hits and a run in the 12th.
Dedelow and Donely paced the Hoosier offense for the day, combining to go 9-for-18 with seven RBIs, three doubles and a home run.
Penn State will next host Villanova Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.