April 11, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State (19-13, 4-4 Big Ten) rallied for four runs on five hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to upend Purdue 11-9 at Medlar Field on Saturday. The Nittany Lion victory evened the three-game series at one win each. Purdue dropped to 14-15 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten with the loss.
Trailing 8-7 after seven and half innings, PSU's Cory Wine led off the eighth with his second solo home run of the game to tie the contest up. Jordan Sterenka and Ryan Boonie followed with back-to-back singles and both came around to score on the fourth straight hit of the frame, a two-run double off the bat of Rick Marlin, to make it 10-8 Lions. Louie Picconi then added a one-out triple to plate Marlin and push the Penn State advantage to 11-8.
Freshmen relievers Ryan Baker and Joe Haase were able to only record one out between them with each getting touched up for a pair of runs in the inning. Baker (0-1) picked up his first loss of the season
Purdue tried to rally in the ninth with Dan Black hitting his second home run of the game, his team-leading 11th of the season, to lead off the inning, but the Boilers could draw no closer as the Lions ended the contest on a double play fly ball to right.
Penn State reliever Paul Cianciolo (3-0) picked up his third win of the season, allowing two runs on two hits in four innings of work. He struck out one and walked one. Closer Ryan Ignas worked around Black's ninth-inning homer to nail down his third save.
Purdue opened the scoring with three runs each in the third and fourth innings and led 7-3 after four and half, but Penn State scored four runs off of Boiler starter Matt Jansen in the bottom of the fifth to pull even at 7-7.
Black's first home run of the game, a one-out solo shot to right center in the sixth, handed Purdue the tenuous 8-7 lead.
Offensively, Penn State rapped out 20 hits in the contest, including the two solo homers by Wine, as all nine starters finished with at least one hit. The middle of the PSU batting order - Wine (3 for 5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R), Steranka (3 for 5, 3 R), Boonie (3 for 4, RBI, 2 R) and Marlin (3 for 5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R) - teamed up to go a combined 12 for 19 on the day.
Black's third multi-homer game of the season highlighted an 11-hit day for Purdue. The junior finished the game 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a pair runs scored. David Blount chipped in with a team-high three runs driven in after going 2 for 4 on the day.
Brandon Haveman hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 straight games, and Eric Charles made it 11 consecutive games with a hit on a single to follow Haveman in the fourth.
Purdue and Penn State will meet up for the rubber game of the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with right-hander Matt Morgan the scheduled starter for Purdue.