April 26, 2015
| 3 | 6 |
| Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park, Pa. | Attn: 1059 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
| Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A four-run second inning was all No. 8 Illinois needed, as the Illini defeated Penn State, 6-3, in Big Ten baseball action Sunday in Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Illinois set a program record with its 17th straight victory, extending the nation's longest hitting streak.
Penn State (13-26, 2-12 B1G) fought back into the game and pulled within two, 5-3, in the seventh inning, but would come no closer. The Nittany Lions outhit Illinois (36-6-1, 13-1 B1G), 10-8.
Centerfielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.), second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.), first baseman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and catcher Nick Graham (Chambersburg, Pa.) all went 2-for-4 for PSU, while left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Riotto doubled off the right field wall, Kendall tallied an RBI and Graham doubled once and scored twice.
Right fielder Casey Fletcher paced the Illini, reaching base five times by going 2-for-2 with a triple and three walks. RHP John Kravetz (4-0) went six-plus innings on the mound, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk.
Fletcher singled to centerfield to leadoff the decisive second inning, and scored from third with one out on a bunt single by centerfielder Will Krug. Then with two outs and two runners in scoring position, left fielder Ryan Nagle singled to center to plate two more runs. Second baseman Reid Roper also drove in a two-out run with a single to chase PSU starter RHP Nick Distasio (1-6) after 1 2/3 innings.
The Penn State bullpen limited Illinois to just two runs over the rest of the game. RHP Sal Biasi pitched the next 3 1/3 innings, allowing a run on one hit and five walks with two strikeouts. LHP Marko Boricich yielded just one walk in two scoreless innings, and RHP Dakota Forsyth allowed two hits, including a solo home run by catcher Jason Goldstein in the ninth, while striking out two.
Penn State narrowed the deficit to three runs in the third inning on an RBI-groundout by Guers. Graham led the inning off with a single to center that was misplayed, allowing him to reach second. He then advanced to third on a fly out by left fielder James Coates (Girard, Ohio) and scored on the ball put in play by Guers.
Illinois added a run in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by first baseman David Kerian, while the Lions loaded the bases in the bottom half with two outs, but were unable to score. They did in the sixth and seventh though, as an infield single to the shortstop by Kendall allowed Riotto to score in the sixth, and a sacrifice fly by Guers in the seventh scored Graham.
Those would be the final runs PSU would score though, as three Illini relievers combined to blank the Lions over the remainder of the contest. RHP Nick Blackburn (2) earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Just four home games remain for Penn State. The homestand continues Wednesday against Pittsburgh at 6:30 p.m., and then the final homes series will take place Friday-Sunday against Rutgers. Visit GoPSUsports.com for ticket information.