March 8, 2015
| 18 | 6 |
| CSU Ballpark | Charleston, S.C. | Attn: 158 | |
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| VIDEO: Postgame Comments (coming soon) |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) hit two home runs and drove in a career-high and team-record matching eight RBIs to lead Penn State to its first win of the season, 18-6, over Charleston Southern in non-conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at CSU Ballpark.
The win snapped an 11-game losing streak for Penn State (1-8) dating back to last season, and the 18 runs were the most for the Lions since April 24, 2010 against Ohio State. Novak became the fourth Nittany Lion to tally eight RBIs in a game, and the first since Ed Washell vs. Cornell on May 12, 1984.
Moving up to the cleanup role for the first time this season, Novak set career highs for hits (going 4-for-5), RBIs (8), and total bases (11), as he also singled and doubled. His two home runs were also a single-game career best, as he had not hit two home runs in a season since his freshman campaign. Riding a seven-game hitting streak, Novak is currently batting .625, slugging 1.083, and has a team-best three home runs and 10 RBIs in eight games (six starts) this season.
Clutch hitting was key for Penn State in the game, as 13 of its 18 runs scored came with two outs. The Lions also made Charleston Southern (7-5) pay for mistakes, as they took advantage of 11 walks and four errors. PSU needed just 15 hits to generate the 18 runs.
The game was tied 5-5 entering the sixth inning, and CSU retired the first two batters, but shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) walked, outfielder Greg Guers (Langhorne,Pa.) singled and Novak followed with a single through the right side to score the go-ahead run. First baseman J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) then drew a walk to load the bases, and designated hitter Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) cleared them when the left fielder missed his deep fly ball, giving Penn State a 9-5 lead.
Riotto reached second on the error, and following a walk by Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.), he and Helsel advanced a base on a double steal. They both ended up scoring on a wild pitch, as the catcher's throw to home to get Riotto was high, allowing Helsel to score, as well.
The Nittany Lions added three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run home run by Novak. Novak then blasted a three-run homer in the ninth to highlight a four-run ninth inning.
Freshman RHP Marko Boricich (Chicago, Ill.) (1-0) earned his first career win with 4 1/3 innings of relief. 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.
Penn State started off strong, as second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.) led the game off with a triple, and he promptly scored when Haley followed with a sacrifice fly. The triple was the first of Skerpon's career, and he finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6.
It was a back-and-forth game until the sixth inning. The Buccaneers went ahead 2-1 in the second inning, but Penn State rallied for three runs in the third for a 4-2 advantage. PSU added another run in the fourth, but CSU scored three in the bottom half.
Penn State will have an off day Monday before returning to action Tuesday and Wednesday at No. 8 South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Both games are slated to start at 7 p.m.