Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Bucknell Baseball Loses to Penn State in Ninth Inning, 12-11
4/8/2009 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) tied his career high with four hits and Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) drove in three runs, but the Bucknell baseball team lost to Penn State Wednesday evening 12-11 after holding a 10-6 edge entering the bottom of the seventh. The Nittany Lions scored six runs in their final three at bats, including the winning run in the bottom of the ninth when a two-out single through the right side by Jordan Steranka scored Blake Lynd from third base.
Bucknell (12-18) also lost a one-run game to Penn State (18-12) last Tuesday. In that game the Nittany Lions scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the eighth to break a 5-5 deadlock. Three of the last four meetings between the two teams have been decided by one run.
Penn State scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth, two on the first triple of the season by Rick Marlin, to even the score at 11-11.
The Bison threatened to retake the lead in the top of the ninth as Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) drew a leadoff walk and Allen followed one out later with his fourth hit to put runners on first and second. However, Bob Donato (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) grounded into a double play, ending the rally.
In the bottom of the ninth, Bucknell's fifth pitcher - Daniel Hart (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) - retired leadoff hitter Michael Glantz. Bison head coach Gene Depew brought Russell Seidell (Granville, Ohio/Granville) (1-2) out of the bullpen to face Blake Lynd, who entered the game with a team-best .392 batting average. Lynd singled up the middle and later advanced to second base on a passed ball. He then moved to third on a groundout by Louie Picconi and scored the winning run when Steranka jumped on the first pitch and hit it through the right side.
Bucknell, which totaled 14 hits and scored in six of the nine innings, went up 2-0 in the first inning when Brouse doubled home Donato and Andrew Loucks (Mississauga, Ontario/Appleby College) followed with a single to drive in Brouse.
Penn State touched Bison starter Alex Cillo (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) for six runs in the first two innings as he last just two outs into the second inning in his first career start. Cillo was plagued by three walks, including two in the first inning. The big blow was a two-run triple by Sternaka in the second, knocking Cillo from the game in favor of Jimmy Murphy (Syoset, N.Y./Syosset).
Murphy was solid in the second-lost appearance of his career (4.2 innings). He scattered seven hits and permitted just two runs, one earned, and struck out three. By the time he exited the game one out into the seventh inning, Bucknell had built a 10-7 lead.
Bucknell closed its deficit to one run when a Brouse triple on an 0-2 count scored Allen and Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley). Loucks followed with his second run-scoring hit of the game to plate Brouse and make the score 6-5.
The Bison retook the lead in the fifth on a two-run single by Constable. Brouse, who scored four runs in the game, crossed the plate with the go-ahead run after reaching on a walk four batters earlier.
Allen knocked in two runs in the seventh and the Bison scored an insurance run in the eighth.
Bucknell was forced to use five different pitchers in the final three innings as Murphy, Matt Foley (Chicago, Ill./Brother Laurence), Ryan Ebner (Reading, Pa./Hill School), Hart and Seidell saw action out of the bullpen.
Bucknell pounded out 14 hits in the game, marking the 17th time it has reached double figures in a game this year. The top five hitters in the lineup - Allen, Donato, Yoder, Brouse and Loucks - accounted for 12 hits, nine runs and eight RBIs.
Brouse was 2-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs. The Patriot League leader with 42 RBIs this season, Brouse now ranks ninth on the Bison single-season RBI list.
With his four hits, Allen extended his hitting streak to eight games. It is the second time this year he has had a hitting streak that long.
Like Bucknell, Penn State used six pitchers. Four of the first five hurlers yielded at least two runs. David Lutz pitched the final 2.2 innings and permitted just an unearned run in the eighth as he picked up the win to improve to 4-0 this season.
The Bison also lost in walk-off fashion to Eastern Kentucky earlier this year. The Colonels had a solo home run on the second pitch of the bottom of the ninth to break an 8-8 deadlock.
Bucknell, which has not defeated the Nittany Lions since 1998, will return to Patriot League play this weekend when it travels to Holy Cross for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's twinbill will begin at 3 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch is slated for 12 p.m.
