April 5, 2015
| 6 | 7 |
| Bill Davis Stadium | Columbus, Ohio | Attn: 1011 | |
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| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Penn State battled back to tie the game twice, but Troy Montgomery hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to lift Ohio State over the Nittany Lions, 7-6, in Big Ten baseball action Sunday afternoon in Bill Davis Stadium.
Down by two entering the seventh inning, Penn State (8-17, 1-3 B1G) tied the game after right fielder Aaron Novak (Ambler, Pa.) homered to centerfield in the seventh and third baseman Christian Helsel (Altoona, Pa.) scored in the eighth. Helsel led the eighth off with a double, was sacrificed to third by centerfielder Ryan Richter (Wayne, Pa.), and driven home by designated hitter James Coates (Girard, Ohio) with a liner to right field.
The Lions had the opportunity to drive in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth after second baseman Taylor Skerpon (Sayre, Pa.) doubled to lead the inning off. He was sacrificed to third, but Ohio State's (21-7, 6-2 B1G) RHP Trace Dempsey (1-0) was able to induce a popup for the second out and then left fielder Ronnie Dawson made a running catch near the warning track on a long fly ball to end the inning.
With runners on first and second in the bottom half with one out, Montgomery's double just over the glove of a leaping J.J. White (Lansdowne, Va.) at first base went down the right field line to drive in the winning run.
Novak, left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.), Helsel and Coates all had two-hit games for the Nittany Lions, while Guers' two RBIs led the team. Both of Helsel's hits were doubles.
The Buckeyes led by as much as four after a four-run third inning. Ohio State sent 10 batters to the plate in the frame, as catcher Connor Sabanosh led the inning off with a home run, and following an outfield error that allowed right fielder Pat Porter to reach third, third baseman Troy Kuhn singled him home. After a strikeout, second baseman Nick Sergakis reached on a throwing error and shortstop Craig Nennig doubled to score Kuhn and Sergakis.
RHP Dakota Forsyth relieved LHP Taylor Lehman though and was able to get out of the inning without any more runs coming across. Lehman allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings pitched.
Penn State battled back in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to tie the game. With two outs, Helsel followed a Jim Haley (Upperd Darby, Pa.) triple off the wall in left with a double into the right gap for the first run. The Lions thrived with two outs again in the fifth, as Novak singled and Skerpon walked to set the table for Guers, who doubled to score both. Richter then tied the game in the sixth inning with a single up the middle to score Haley from second base.
However, Porter and Kuhn hit back-to-back, two-out home runs in the bottom of the sixth to put Ohio State back in front, 6-4. Porter paced the Buckeyes for the game, going a team-best 3-for-5, while Kuhn went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
RHP Jack Anderson (3-3) kept Ohio State scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, but was responsible for the winning run in the ninth. Ohio State starter RHP Travis Lakins struck out seven in six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks.
The three-game series will conclude Monday with a 1:05 first pitch. LHP Nick Distasio (1-3, 2.74) is slated to start Monday and face Ohio State's LHP Ryan Riga (5-1, 0.76).