March 27, 2015
| 5 | 2 |
| Medlar Field | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 577 | |
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| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the second consecutive game, a bases-clearing double in the eighth was the difference in a 5-2 victory for Penn State, as Ryky Smith (York, Pa.) was the hero for the Nittany Lions against Central Connecticut in non-conference baseball action Friday evening in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) was also a catalyst, going 4-for-4 at the plate.
With the score tied 2-2, Novak led the eighth inning off for Penn State (6-14) with a hard-hit double to the wall in left. After an out, a Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) walk, and another out, Novak won a foot race to third base on an infield single hit to the third baseman by centerfielder Ryan Richter (Wayne, Pa.), which continued the inning and brought Smith to the dish with the bases loaded. Smith fell behind 0-2 in the count, but was able to drill a double to right center to drive in three runs.
Penn State defeated Villanova Wednesday, 5-2, when Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) cleared the bases with a three-RBI double with two outs, also breaking a 2-2 tie. The Lions have now won five out of their last six games, including the last three, and are 4-1 at home after starting the season with 15 road games.
Starting RHP Matt Blandino (1-2) had pitched well for Central Connecticut (6-8) until running into trouble in the eighth inning. He finished with a line of nine hits, five runs (four earned), one walk and two strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
PSU also received a strong starting effort, as LHP Nick Hedge (Winnetka, Ill.) blanked the Blue Devils through 5 2/3 innings of work, striking out a career-high eight batters and yielding just four hits and two walks. LHP Marko Boricich was tagged for CCSU's two runs in 1 1/3 innings of work, but RHP Jack Anderson (3-2) was able to keep CCSU from going ahead in the eighth, while RHP Sal Biasi (2) faced the minimum to close it out. Both pitchers were the pitchers of record in the last game against Villanova.
Penn State scored a run each in the fifth and sixth innings without an RBI. In the fifth, Smith singled with one out and then scored from first on a throwing error by the shortstop on a grounder hit by catcher Alex Malinsky (Apex, N.C.) in the fifth. Novak singled to lead off the sixth and went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and then scored on a wild pitch.
Novak, who raised his batting average to .397, and Smith (2-for-4) had the lone multi-hit games for PSU, accounting for six of the team's nine hits.
Central Connecticut battled back though in the seventh and eighth innings. Left fielder Connor Fitzsimons had an RBI-single to center in the seventh and second baseman Dean Lockery drove in the tying run in the eighth on a groundout.
Designated hitter Corey Lerche led CCSU at the plate, going 3-for-4.
The three-game series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. CCSU's Dom Severino is scheduled to face PSU's LHP Taylor Lehman.