March 5, 2016

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Penn State LHP Taylor Lehman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) struck out a career-high 11 batters, but UNCW RHP Ryan Foster held the Nittany Lions to one hit in his 7 2/3 innings, as UNCW prevailed, 5-1, in non-conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Brooks Field.

Lehman (0-3) went a career-high 7 1/3 innings and surpassed his previous single-game high of eight strikeouts against Central Connecticut State last season. The 11 strikeouts were the most by a Nittany Lion since Greg Welsh struck out 11 against Purdue in 2013. He had five strikeouts in the first two innings, earning three in the first. He sat down four-straight batters across the first and second innings.

However, Foster (3-0) yielded just one hit to designated hitter James Coates (Girard, Ohio) in the second inning and three walks total while striking out four. The lone Penn State (2-6) run he allowed was unearned in the first inning.

Lehman was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks.

The Lions got on the scoreboard quickly in the first, but UNCW (7-1) answered with a run in the bottom half, two runs in the third inning and two more in the eighth.

Right fielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) led the game off with a walk and reached third after a sacrifice bunt and passed ball, respectively. That put him in position to score on an RBI-groundout by shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) Haley later doubled in the ninth for the Lions second and final hit of the game.

UNCW answered in the bottom half, as left fielder Steven Linkous reached on a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a single and scored on a wild pitch.

Linkous then led the bottom of the third off with a double, stole third and scored on a groundout by left fielder Gavin Stupienski with one out. The next batter, catcher Nick Feight, then hit a solo home run to right center for a 3-1 lead.

Linkous, Stupienski and Feight each had two-hit games to lead the Seahawks offensively. Stupienski singled and Feight doubled with one out in the eighth, and both scored on a double by Terrence Connelly for the final margin.

Penn State will continue the three-game series at UNCW Sunday at 2 p.m. RHP Sal Biasi (1-1) is slated to start for the Nittany Lions.