Penn State Downs Baseball 10-2 in Finale for Series Split – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 6, 2003
Box Score
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State sprinted out to a 7-0 lead in the first three innings before handing the Buckeyes a 10-2 loss in the series finale Sunday at Beaver Field. The loss gave Ohio State its second straight split to open Big Ten play and dropped it to 13-10 overall and 4-4 in the league.
Penn State used five hits and two Ohio State errors to jump out to an early 5-0 lead on the Buckeyes. Arin Gelletley singled to right-centerfield to lead off the inning and then was hit to second on an infield hit to short. A throwing error by Smith trying to catch Melendez out at first on a bunt, but the throw sailed high and he advanced to second while Gelletley scored and Wes Reohr, who had the other single, moved to third.
Mike Milliron singled off the glove of Smith and up the middle to score Reohr as Melendez moved to third. Zack Smithlin singled to back to Smith to plate Melendez before a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third. Derrick Barr singled through the right side for two more runs. Adam Warchal reached on the second error on Smith of the inning before an inning-ending double play.
The Buckeyes went in order in the top of the third and then gave up two more runs in the bottom of the inning. The third Ohio State error of the game put lead-off batter Gelletley on base and then Reohr launched a shot over the fence in left-centerfield to extend the Penn State lead to 7-0.
Ohio State finally got on the board in the fifth inning thanks to back-to-back doubles by Brett Garrard (Jr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) and Wes Schirtzinger (Fr., Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North). Cody Caughenbaugh (Fr., Newark, Ohio/Licking Valley), who capitalized on a fielding error by the Penn State second baseman, scored on the two-bagger by Garrard. Schirtzinger’s shot down the left-field line scored Garrard to close the gap to five runs. Smith got the loss to fall to 1-4 on the year. He lasted just 2.0 inning and faced two batters into the third inning, but allowed seven runs (five earned) on six hits. He had one walk, one strikeout, but had two errors in the second inning that did not help his cause. Chris Hanners (So., Groveport, Ohio/DeSales) came on in relief and pitched a solid effort in 5.2 innings. After giving up a walk and a hit to the first three batters he faced, he retired the next 13 Nittany Lions before walking Gelletley in the seventh inning.
He came back to start the eighth inning, but gave up a Melendez base hit and then a double to Barr. Melendez, who had been bunted over on a sacrifice by Milliron, scored on the play. Greg Prenger (Sr, Harpster, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) then came on to replace Hanners, but he gave up an RBI double to DeRenzo and a single to Warchal that scored the third run of the game to give Penn State a 10-2 advantage.
Penn State freshman Sean Stidfole won his first collegiate start. He got the complete game victory allowing both Buckeye runs (none earned) on six hits. He struck out five without a walk in getting to 1-0.
Mike Rabin (Jr., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) had two hits in his four at bats to lead Ohio State, which had six hits in the game to go with its three errors. Penn State had 11 hits and one error with both Barr, Reohr and Smithlin guiding the Nittany Lion offense. Each of the threesome went 2-for-4 in the game ans Barr and Reohr each knocked in two runs.
Ohio State will play host to Oakland Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium in the first game of an 11-game homestand that will include Big Ten series against Iowa and Indiana as well as a non-conference meeting with Shawnee State.
