Penn State Baseball, Pitt Softball Drop Games Sunday

The Penn State baseball team and Pitt softball team both were on the short-end of the stick Sunday.

PSU BASEBALL FALLS TO RICHMOND

RICHMOND, Va. – Senior first baseman Tyler Kendall (Boynton Beach, Fla.) went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions could not overcome five errors as Richmond erased a two-run deficit late to prevail, 6-5, in non-conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Pitt Field.

Classmate James Coates (Girard, Ohio) also drove in two runs for Penn State (5-9) and left fielder Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) drove in a run and scored twice. Shortstop Jim Haley (Upper Darby, Pa.) doubled and also scored twice, while right fielder Nick Riotto (Washington, Pa.) and third baseman Willie Burger (Lancaster, Pa.) both had two hit games.

Richmond (11-5) trailed 5-3 entering the seventh, but was able to tie the game with two runs before scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Catcher Brandon Johnson led the bottom of the seventh off with a double for the Spiders, and he scored from third with one out on an RBI-single by shortstop Tyler Beckwith. Beckwith was sacrificed to third and then scored the tying run on a fielding error.

Left fielder Kyle Adams reached on an error to lead-off the eighth, and he scored from second for the go-ahead run with one out on an RBI single by right fielder Jansen Fraser.
Fraser and Beckwith paced Richmond at the plate, going 3-for-4 and 3-for-3, respectively, to account for six of Richmond’s nine hits.

RHP Caleb Ward (1-0) retired all six Lions he faced, striking out the first four, to ice the win for Richmond.

The defensive miscues spoiled a strong offensive effort for Penn State with 10 hits.

Penn State used a three-run fourth inning to take its first lead of the game, 3-2. Riotto led the inning off with a line drive to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third base, and Haley walked to give Guers runners on the corners with one out. Guers delivered with a single to right field to score Riotto and Kendall followed with a double on the left field line that scored Haley and moved Guers to third. Coates then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Guers.

Richmond tied the game back up in the bottom half of the frame after miscommunication in the outfield gave the Spiders’ Fraser a one-out triple, and he then scored on a sacrifice fly.

The Nittany Lions scored a run each in the sixth and seventh innings to retake the lead, 5-3. In the sixth, Guers reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and then scored on a squeeze bunt by Coates.

RHP Justin Hagenman worked 6 2/3 innings for the Nittany Lions, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts. RHP Jack Anderson (0-1) made his 77th career appearance to move up to second all-time at Penn State in the category, but was tagged with loss after allowing the unearned go-ahead run on two hits.

Penn State will return home for its next five games starting with a three-game series against Niagara Friday at 5:30 p.m.

PITT SOFTBALL LOSES TO VIRGINIA TECH

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Pittsburgh softball team dropped its final game of the series to Virginia Tech, 12-9, in six innings of play at Tech Softball Park on Sunday. The game was called following the sixth inning, due to inclement weather with created unplayable field conditions.

“Virginia Tech out played us in every facet of the game,” head Coach Holly Aprile. “They were better on offense, they were better on defense and they pitched better than us in all three games. They were the superior team. We made a ton of mistakes and they capitalized on all of them.”

The Panthers [16-8, 0-3 ACC] led after the first inning of play and following the top of the fourth, but were unable to hold on as the Hokies [9-14, 4-2 ACC] scored five additional runs in the final innings of play.

“We need to correct every aspect of the game, but it all starts in the circle. If we can’t be better on the mound, it will be very tough to win,” Aprile said. “We have a very talented team with great potential that can achieve great things, but that doesn’t miraculously happen. We have to execute and we have to want the big moment. We have to want the challenge of playing in the ACC. This weekend, that did not happen.”

Seven different Pitt players recorded hits in today’s game, including redshirt seniors Shelby Pickett and Maggie Sevilla, senior Jenna Modic, junior Kaitlin Manuel, sophomores McKayla Taylor and Erin Hershman and freshman Olivia Gray.

Sevilla, who homered in the first inning of the game, scored twice in the game along with Taylor.

On the mound, sophomore Kayla Harris gave up eight runs, four unearned, in 4.2 innings pitched, while striking out four batters. Harris entered the game in relief of Modic who gave up the first four runs to Virginia Tech.

Pitt 9, Virginia Tech 12

· In a back-and-forth game, Pitt dropped a tough decision to Virginia Tech 12-9, in six innings of play.

· The Panthers came out swinging in the first inning, scoring five runs on four hits. Sevilla recorded Pitt’s first hit and run of the day, as she hit a solo shot just over the left field wall. The Panthers’ next batter, Taylor, was hit by a pitch and was joined on the bases by Modic who singled to right field. Taylor advanced to third on the single and continued home on a wild pitch for Pitt’s second run. Zeremenko was issued a walk in the next-at back to put two on for Hershman, who doubled to left field. Modic scored on the hit, making it 3-0 Pitt, while Zeremenko advanced to third. Freshman Marissa DeMatteo came into run for Zeremenko and scored on a passed ball to increase the Panthers’ lead to 4-0. Pitt’s final run of the inning scored on a Manuel single through the right side.

· The Hokies scored two runs in the bottom of the first to cut the Panthers’ lead to 5-2. Modic was the pitcher on the mound for Pitt as she came in for Harris before the inning began. Following a walk and double, Modic gave up a single and sac fly which brought around both base runners.

· The Panthers were held scoreless in the top of the second but ended the inning still leading by a run after Virginia Tech posted two in the bottom half of the frame. The first run scored on a bases-loaded walk, while the second came around on a single to right field.

· The Hokies defense retired Pitt in order in the top of the third, before scoring three runs in the bottom half to take their first lead of the game, 7-5. With one away, Modic gave up two walks to put runners on. Back-to-back singles brought around three Tech baserunners.

· The Panthers were back out in front after the top of the fourth inning, as they scored four runs on three hits and an error. With two outs and a runner on second, Pickett hit a ball to center that dropped in for a single, allowing Gray to advance home. A Sevilla walk put runners on first and second for Taylor, who hit a single to center. Pickett crossed the plate on the hit, while Sevilla advanced home on a throwing error by the Virginia Tech short stop. The final run of the half inning was tallied as Taylor rushed home on a passed ball. At this point, Pitt led Virginia Tech 9-7.

· The Hokies took the lead and held onto it after a four-run frame in the bottom of the fourth. Three consecutive singles was how the inning began for Virginia Tech, which set up Kaitlin Mericka’s bases-clearing double. On the play, a bobble by Hershman in the outfield allowed the third run to come home and Mericka to advance to third. Whitney Saunders, who pinch ran for Mericka, scored on the final play of the inning to give the Hokies an 11-9 lead.

· Virginia Tech tallied its last run in the sixth, before the game came to a close due to the rain.

Up Next
· Pitt will welcome North Carolina to Vartabedian Field next weekend for its ACC home opener. The Panthers will begin on Saturday, March 19 with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The series will come to a close on Sunday, March 20 with the final game slated to begin at Noon.