Penn State Walks Off Against Panthers In Ninth

Wednesday, April 29

University Park, Pa.

6:30 PM

Pitt

16-26

Penn State

14-26

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Pitt	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	2	7	13	4
Penn State	0	1	1	0	1	1	2	1	1	8	15	1

Penn State Walks Off Against Panthers In Ninth

4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 29, 2015

Box Score | Season Stats

Follow @PITTBASEBALL

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- In a back-and-forth affair that saw three ties and a lead change halfway through the contest, Penn State defeated Pitt 8-7 with a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, April 29 at Medlar Field to sweep the season series.

It is the first time since the 2011 series that Penn State (14-26) has taken both games from Pitt (16-26) in the season series.

Trailing 7-5 entering the ninth inning, Pitt tied the score on a two-out, two-run single by senior Eric Hess as the Panthers overcame a two-run deficit for the second time on the day.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jim Haley beat out an infield single and represented the winning run with no outs. A sacrifice bunt pushed him into scoring position and a single to right by Ryan Richter placed runners on the corners with one out. That brought Ryky Smith to the dish for the first time in the game and he came through with a chopper to short and junior Ron Sherman was unable to make the play at home, resulting in the winning run to crossing the plate.

Jared Fagnano (1-2), who blew the save for the Nittany Lions in the ninth, received his first career win despite giving up two runs in one inning of work. In a career-long outing of 1.1 innings, junior Rich Condeelis (0-1) suffered his first loss after allowing two runs on three hits. Entering the game, Condeelis had allowed two runs in 10 innings this year and sported a 0.90 earned run average.

Seven of Pitt's 13 hits went for extra bases, which stands as the third most extra base hits in a game this season for the Panthers. Six of Pitt's nine starters finish the game with multi-hit performances. This was the second time this season Pitt had at least six players record at least two hits apiece in a game. The last time was when Pitt hosted Akron on March 18.

Leading the charge offensively was senior Boo Vazquez, who went 2-for-4 with a home run a triple, three runs batted in and two runs scored. He was one six players that recorded multi-hit games. Sophomore Manny Pazos also had a pair of extra base hits, crushing a double and a triple while driving in one run.

Junior Alex Kowalczyk, who doubled and drove in one run, finished 2-for-4. Hess came up big in the ninth driving in two runs with his second hit of the game. Redshirt sophomore Frank Maldonado and junior Aaron Schnurbusch each notched two hits and scored a run, with Schnurbusch accounting for a double as well.

Sophomore Sam Mersing, who took a no-hitter into the seventh in his last start, was touched up for four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings. He fanned five batters, giving him at least five strikeouts in six of his seven starts this year.

The Panthers got right to business in the first inning with two runs off Vazquez's fifth home run of the season.

Maldonado led off the game for just the second time all season and pushed a single through the right side. Two batters later he came home on Vazquez's moon shot over the left field fence, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Continuing the momentum, Pitt got two more baserunners in the opening frame on a walk and single by Hess, but were unable to bring either home despite both getting into scoring position with one out following a wild pitch.

A leadoff triple by Pazos to begin the second was spoiled when he was cut down attempting to take home on a grounder by Maldonado and the Panthers had to settle for no runs in the inning.

After quickly retiring the first two batters in the second, Mersing allowed three straight two-out hits, the third a RBI single to left field by Taylor Skerpon that cut Pitt's margin in half to 2-1. A fourth straight batter reached first on a full count walk to load the bases. However, Mersing induced an inning-ending groundout to escape the jam.

In the third, Pitt stranded a runner on third following a one-out, stand-up double by Kowalczyk and a long fly out to the warning track in right. Sherman's bid to drive him in came up just short as he also flied out to the warning track in left.

Penn State was able to tie the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on groundout from J.J. White. Greg Guers led off the frame with a single up the middle and went moved up one base when Aaron Novak reached on an error. A sacrifice bunt pushed both runners into scoring position for White, who hit into a fielder's choice.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Nittany Lions took their first lead of the game with a run in the fifth and extended their advantage to 4-2 with another run in the sixth.

With one out, Novak singled up the middle and moved to second on a throwing error by Schnurbusch. On a similar play, Haley singled to center and another errant throw by Schnurbusch back into the infield not only allowed Novak to score from second, but let Haley get all the way to third, where he was ultimately stranded.

An inning later, Tyler Kendall scored on an infield single by James Coates after he got on base with a single of his own and made his way around the bases on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch.

In the seventh, Pitt scored twice in the top half to momentarily even the score at 4-4, only to see Penn State respond with two runs of its own to regain control at 6-4.

Back-to-back extra base hits, a double by Schnurbusch and a triple by Vazquez, made it 4-3, and Kowalczyk brought Vazquez in with an RBI groundout.

The tie game was short lived with the Nittany Lions tagging relief pitcher freshman Isaac Mattson for two runs, one unearned. Haley started things off with a single and promptly stole second. White drove him in with a single and got into scoring position on a wild pitch. After Mattson struck out the next batter, Kendall sent an offering to right field with what appeared to be the final out of the inning. However, Vazquez dropped the fly ball, allowing White to score the run.

Pitt got one run back in the eighth when Sherman led off the frame with a stand-up double to right center and was plated two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Pazos, bringing the score to 6-5.

Penn State added a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on Guers' sixth home run of the season. The homer came off of Condeelis, who entered the game in place of Mattson to begin the inning.

The Panthers wouldn't go down quietly, however, and made some noise in the ninth. Both Maldonado and Schnurbusch roped singles through the right side to start the inning and place the tying run on first and go-ahead run at the plate with no outs. A groundout moved both runners in scoring position for Hess, who dropped in a two-run single to right field to tie the game at 7-7.

With the loss the Penn State, Pitt is ensured a non-winning record for the second straight year -- just the first time that has happened since 2006-07.

Four Nittany Lions also recorded multi-hit games, including Haley, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Coates and Guers each had two hits and an RBI, while Guers also scored twice.

Pitt now returns to conference action for the next six games, beginning with a three-game series at home with nationally-ranked No. 16 Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, May 2.