Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Penn State
Nittany Lions Sweep Doubleheader; Win Game Two 11-5
4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Northwestern scored early, but Penn State scored early and often, winning game two of Saturday's doubleheader 11-5. In another record-setting day of attendance (3,946) at Medlar Field at Labrano Park in University Park, Pa., Northwestern could not keep the Nittany Lion offense down. The two losses drop the Wildcats to 9-24 overall, 3-12 in the Big Ten.
Northwestern sent nine hitters to the plate in the top of the first inning to jump out to an early 3-0 lead. Centerfield Aaron Newman (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) led off the inning with a single and moved to second when Jake Owens (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) was walked. After a strikeout, first baseman Jake Goebbert (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) laced a single to center to score Newman from second. Owens moved to third on the hit. Second baseman Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) then lined a double down the left field line to score Owens. After a fielder's choice groundball cut Goebbert down at home for the second out of the inning, Tommy Finn's (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean) bunt single scored NU's third and final run of the inning.
Penn State responded with five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 5-3 lead off Wildcat starter Joe Muraski (Rothschild, Wis./D.C. Everest). A two-run error, three Muraski walks and three Lion hits, including a bases-loaded two-RBI double scored the Penn State runs. Three of the five runs were earned.
In a replay of the first inning, Goebbert lined a one-out single to right centerfield to score NU's fourth run of the game. The single drove in his second RBI in as many chances. Newman scored on the play after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Newman moved to second on Owens' single to right. After a Penn State pitching change, Owens was thrown out at the plate after Fields singled through the left side of the infield. Designated hitter Mike Kalina (Munster, Ind./Munster) flew out on the warning track to straightaway centerfield to end the inning.
Newman's hit by pitch added to his already school record of 35. The previous record of 33 was held by Ken Padgett (2000-03).
Muraski settled down until the bottom of the fourth. After recording two outs and giving up two singles, Wildcat head coach Paul Stevens called on Andrew Smith (Fort Mitchell, Ky./Beechwood) out of the bullpen.
Smith entered the game with two outs and runners on first and second. Smith gave up three straight hits, including a double, which allowed Penn State to take an 8-4 lead.
Still in the bottom of the fourth inning, Stevens went back to the bullpen and called on freshman Jonathan Purcell (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) to end the Nittany Lion rally. Purcell needed to just two pitches to induce a fly out and end the inning.
Purcell did not fare as well in the bottom of the fifth inning. He gave up three runs on three hits, which included a double and triple.
NU got one run back in the top of the sixth to make the score 11-5 in favor of PSU. Left fielder Max Mann (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) led off the inning with a single to right and went to second base on a wild pitch. Catcher Geoff Dietz (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) then singled to right field to put Mann on third with no outs. A double play groundball scored Mann for NU's fifth run.
Freshman David Jensen (Whittier, Calif./Mater Dei) started the bottom of the sixth inning on the mound for Northwestern. Penn State went down 1-2-3.
