Big Ten Network : Penn State Top Stories

Purdue tops PSU for share of first Big Ten title since '96

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 13:57:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Purdue's fans came to Happy Valley ready to celebrate. After the final buzzer sounded Saturday, they held black and yellow placards that read in bold letters, "Big Ten Champs." JaJuan Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the No. 7 Boilermakers clinched a share of its first conference title in 14 years after holding off Penn State, 64-60. It's a victory all the more sweeter for the Boilermakers given top forward Robbie Hummel is out for the year with a right knee injury. "I'm supper happy we were able to come out here and get this win, especially for him," Johnson said. "Just for our team period just because we've been through a lot." Keaton Grant added 17 points for Purdue, while Chris Babb and Talor Battle each had 17 to pace Penn State. The Nittany Lions played the last six-plus minutes without Battle, and coach Ed DeChellis later said his star guard suffered from cramps. That made their late rally even more impressive after three foul shots by Babb got Penn State within 61-60 with 18 seconds left. The Boilermakers (26-4, 14-4) held on after E'Twaun Moore hit two free throws and Babb missed a potential tying 3 with 7 seconds left. The rebound skipped off teammate Tim Frazier's hands and went out of bounds. "We didn't panic, kept fighting and fighting and fighting, trying to get it to where we could steal the win," DeChellis said. "I thought we could give ourselves a chance again." But the play of Johnson and a poor-shooting first half, in which Penn State (11-19, 3-15) hit 31 percent, foiled the comeback. The Nittany Lions head into the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis as the last seed. Purdue has the second seed since conference co-leader Ohio State owns the tiebreaker. Getting this far, though, might be accomplishment enough for Purdue given they played without Hummel, the team's leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. "Guys could have folded," coach Matt Painter said. "You lose one of those major pieces and it's tough. ... You can't feel sorry for yourself." No wonder a large black- and yellow-clad Purdue contingent made the trip to the Jordan Center. Without Hummel, Painter's club regrouped to win its last two games, against the Big Ten's two worst teams in Indiana and Penn State. The Nittany Lions had closed an eight-point deficit to 58-55 with 2:45 left after a 3 by Babb and a layup by Andrew Jones. Moore had a subpar night shooting on 3 of 10 from the field, but hit a lucky shot after his straightaway 3 caromed off the backboard into the net to put Purdue six with a minute to go. It's these type of situations when Penn State turns to Battle, its do-everything leader. But with the guard out of the game, his teammates stepped up after Brooks dunked and Babb nailed all three free throws after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt to get to within 61-60. As in many of its previous losses this year, Penn State couldn't break through. It was their second straight last-minute defeat to a ranked foe after falling to No. 11 Michigan State 67-65 on Thursday. Brooks, who finished with 12 points and seven boards, chalked it up to a run of bad luck. "Maybe luck will swing our way in the tournament and we will be the ones out celebrating on the court," he said. Better interior defense might help, too. The 6-foot-10 Johnson proved to be a tough matchup for Penn State's big men with his mid-range jumper and ability to get to the foul line, where he hit 11 of 14 free-throw attempts. Now, Johnson is starting to think about bigger goals if they can advance far in the conference tournament without Hummel. "Especially a lot of teams now are at full strength or close to it, so we have a good showing against them maybe it will show the (NCAA) selection committee that we are deserving of a higher seed even without Rob."

Penn State falls to Texas A&M, 7-0

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:22:00 +0000

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Penn State baseball team fell victim to strong two-out hitting as Texas A&M scored all seven of its runs with two outs on its way to a 7-0 win on Wednesday evening. Redshirt Senior Mike Wanamaker (Upper Nyack, N.Y.), who was on a pitch count in his first start since 2008, threw the first four innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with four strikeouts. After allowing two first-inning runs, he bounced back with his strongest inning when he struck out the side in the second. The Nittany Lions (4-5) now look ahead to a weekend series at 2009 NCAA Regional participant Texas State. Wanamaker impressed in his first appearance since the 2008 Big Ten Tournament against Indiana. His best stretch came between the end of the first and the beginning of the fourth innings when he retired eight of nine batters. The Nittany Lions' best chance came in the top of the first when they swatted three hits, but failed to cross the plate. The key play came when Aggies' right fielder Scott Arthur threw out sophomore Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.), trying to reach third on junior Heath Johnson's (Alamagordo, N.M.) single to right field. Freshman Steve Snyder (West Chester, Pa.) was the only Penn State player to pick up multiple hits as he went 2-for-3. The Lions' other hits came from junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) and redshirt freshman Elliot Searer (Lewistown, Pa.), his second in as many at-bats this series. After Penn State stranded runners, Texas A&M responded in the bottom of the first when Caleb Shofner's two-out double to left-center field scored Brodie Greene and Joe Patterson to make it 2-0. The Aggies took advantage of a fourth-inning error for their third run of the game when Shofner crossed the plate after Joaquin Hinojosa's two-out RBI single. Shofner hit his second RBI double of the game in the fifth to score Brodie Greene. Kenny Jackson followed with a single to right, scoring Shofner to make it 5-0. Yet another two-out run gave A&M a 6-0 advantage as Arthur drove in Kevin Gonzalez with a sixth-inning single. Matt Juengel hit a two-out triple in the seventh inning, scoring Jackson for the Aggies' seventh run.

Long leads Nittany Lions to win over St. Joe's

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:08:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Morgan Long drove in the go-ahead run to give Penn State the lead in the fifth inning and the Nittany Lions hung on to beat St. Joseph's 6-3 on Wednesday. After Cassidy Bell singled the game was tied when Long came to the plate against Erin Gallagher with one out and a runner on third. She hit into a fielder's choice scoring Bell from third, which gave the Nittany Lions the lead for good. Eight strikeouts helped Lisa Akamine get the victory for Penn State (13-7). She allowed one earned run on seven hits and four walks over seven innings. Penn State is used to seeing big plays from Akamine, she has been good this season averaging 9.18 strikeouts per nine innings. On the season she has 54 strikeouts and 23 walks. The sophomore pitcher has allowed 53 hits in 45 1/3 innings pitched. Gallagher took the loss for St. Joseph's (6-5). She went five innings, gave up four walks, struck out five, and allowed six runs. After Brooke Darreff walked and Deanna Stinner was hit by a pitch, the Hawks were trailing by one when Alaina Loguidice came to the plate against Akamine with two outs and the bases loaded. She singled scoring Darreff from third. After Monica Aguilar singled and Juliette D'Ambrosio walked, the Hawks were trailing by four when Bernadette Moran came to the plate against Akamine with two outs and runners on first and second. She reached on a fielding error by center field Bell scoring Aguilar from second. Penn State's next game is on Friday, March 12 against Stony Brook in Clearwater, Fla. in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Texas A&M cruises past Penn State, 17-3

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:21:00 +0000

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M captured a 7-0 blowout victory over Penn State (4-5) without scoring more than two runs in any inning. Instead the Aggies (11-2) scored in five different innings on their way to the win. The Aggies scored two runs in the first, one run in the fourth, two runs in the fifth, one run in the sixth and one run in the seventh to get the win. In all of that the first was the big inning for Texas A&M. In the first, Mike Wanamaker gave up two runs on a Caleb Shofner double. Ten strikeouts helped Clayton Ehlert get the victory for Texas A&M. He allowed no earned runs on four hits and no walks over seven innings. Shofner drove in three Aggies runners. He went 2-3 at the plate. In addition to his double in the first, Shofner doubled in the fifth inning scoring Brodie Greene. Wanamaker took the loss for Penn State. He went four innings, gave up one walk, struck out four, and allowed three runs. Penn State is going through a rough part of the season. The Nittany Lions have now lost four games in a row. The Nittany Lions last won on March 6 against Dallas Baptist. Penn State's next game is on Friday, March 12 at Texas State. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

ESPN2 to carry Penn State's Blue-White Game

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:08:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – One of the nation's premier spring football events, Penn State's Blue-White Game presented by AAA, will be televised live by ESPN2 on Saturday, April 24. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET in Beaver Stadium. As in previous years, there will be no admission or parking fee for the Blue-White game, which culminates spring practice for the Nittany Lions. The Blue-White Game also will air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com. The Blue-White Game presented by AAA will be the first spring football game ESPN has televised among Big Ten Conference institutions. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma are among the schools that have hosted ESPN for their spring football game over the past five years, with LSU and North Carolina also joining the list this spring. One of the highlights of the Penn State sports calendar, Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA is set for April 23-24 with numerous free, fan-friendly events adjacent to Beaver Stadium. The celebration of Penn State football will include the popular pre-game autograph session with the players, the announcement of the spring football award winners as well as the recipients of the PNC Bank "Player of the Game" from last season. During the weekend, the University will also announce the official dollar goal of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, the most ambitious fundraising effort in its history. The Blue-White Game presented by AAA is one of the nation's most popular spring football contests. The attendance record has fallen each of the past three years, with an estimated crowd of 76,500 flocking to the 2009 contest. An estimated 73,000 fans attended in 2008 and 71,000 in 2007. More than 40,000 fans have attended the game in 11 of the past 14 years, with rainy conditions during the other three contests. Other events held in conjunction with Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA will be announced at a later date. Coach Joe Paterno's squad will begin spring practice the last week of March. ESPN2 is available in nearly 99 million homes. Penn State has made numerous appearances on ESPN and ESPN2, including recent games with Northwestern (2009), Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue (2007 and '08), Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Indiana (2007), in addition to ABC outer market appearances. ESPN's popular ""College GameDay presented by the Home Depot"" has originated from Penn State three times in the past five years. The Nittany Lions earned their second consecutive 11-2 record last season, capped by a win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl, Penn State's fourth bowl victory in the past five seasons. The Nittany Lions were No. 8 in the final USA Today Coaches poll and No. 9 in the Associated Press survey, earning their 23rd final Top 10 ranking under the Hall of Fame coach. Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span. The Nittany Lions return 37 letterwinners for the 2010 season, including 13 starters (7 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 11 players that have starting experience. Penn State opens the season Sept. 4 vs. Youngstown State in Beaver Stadium and visits 2009 national champion Alabama on Sept. 11.

Battle is diamond in Penn State's rough season

Ron Musselman — Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State point guard Talor Battle was one of the best players in the Big Ten Conference this season despite playing on the worst team. A 6-foot junior, he is the only player in the six BCS conferences to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Battle scored 17 points Saturday in 31 minutes, but missed the final six-plus minutes with cramps as the Nittany Lions closed out their regular season with a 64-60 loss to No. 7 Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Boilermakers (26-4, 14-4 Big Ten) clinched a share of their first regular-season conference championship since 1996, while the Lions (11-19, 3-15) lost for the seventh time in conference play by six or fewer points. "With the season we've had and the record we have, we could have easily given up, but we've continued to work hard," Battle said recently. Battle considered quitting the team in early January, saying he was frustrated. But he regrouped and was the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten through Saturday, averaging 18.8 points. He was one of several impact point guards in the conference, along with Ohio State's Evan Turner and Michigan State's Kalin Lucas. "When I step on the court, I play with a certain confidence and swagger," Battle said. "I feel like I'm the best player out there." Battle was the focal point of opposing defenses this season and Penn State's only double figure scorer. The Lions dropped their first 12 Big Ten games after recording a school-record 27 victories and their first NIT title last year. Consequently, Battle and No. 11 seed Penn State will be looking to play the role of postseason spoiler at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis this week. Battle, who led the Big Ten with 14 20-point games, also became just the third player in Penn State history to record 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in his career. "I think his numbers are pretty good and I think it's even more impressive because he's had to do so much by himself," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "He's had to do an unbelievable balancing act. 'When do I try to take the game over? When do I score? When do I try to make my teammates better and get them the ball?' "But, he's still scoring pretty well and he's made other guys better by passing the ball to them and getting them shots. And that's been impressive, because he's been the focal point of opposing defenses at times. "I think he has improved. I think he's playing stronger, his body's gotten bigger." Battle was named a first-team All-Big Ten pick and team co-MVP last season while establishing himself as one of the Big Ten's top scoring threats and playmakers. He led the conference in scoring (17.3 ppg) in the regular season a year ago and the country in minutes played (1,422). Battle's confidence continued to grow this past summer after he led the U.S. World University Games team in scoring (10 ppg) and 3-pointers made (13) on the way to capturing a bronze medal. Battle ranks seventh in school history with 1,516 points and could catch former All-American Jesse Arnelle (2,138) as the Lions' all-time leading scorer next season -- a mark that has stood since 1955. "(Battle's) not just a quick guy," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "He sees everything on the floor. He's a terrific player. I've seen a lot of good point guards, a lot of good guards. He's one of the best." Battle and his half-brother, Taran Buie, will be reunited next season after previously starring together at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, N.Y. Buie, a 6-2 senior guard who transferred to State College High School before this season, signed with Penn State in the early period in November. "Taran is a terrific playmaker and defender," DeChellis said. "And, like his brother, he has a tremendous motor and plays with great energy." Buie is one of Penn State's highest-rated recruits in recent history. He is ranked No. 87 overall in ESPNU's top 100 players. He had offers from Pitt, Maryland, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Marquette, among others. "Hopefully, he can give us that added dimension we're missing," Battle said. Copyright 2010 York Newspapers, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Darwin fly out gives Chippewas late victory over Nittany Lions

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 22:27:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Brogan Darwin brought home the winning run to give Central Michigan the lead in the fifth inning and the Chippewas hung on to beat Penn State 5-2 on Tuesday. After Brittini Merchant singled and Summer Knoop reached on a fielding error by third baseman Desi Giordano, the game was tied when Darwin came to the plate against Jackie Hill with one out and runners on second and third. She hit a sacrifice fly scoring Merchant from third, which gave the Chippewas the lead for good. Eight strikeouts helped Kara Dornbos get the win for Central Michigan (4-6). She allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings. Greenman drove in two Chippewas runners. Katie Greenman reached on a fielding error by center field Cassidy Bell in the third inning scoring Knoop and doubled in the fifth inning scoring Christina Novak and Knoop. The Nittany Lions (12-7) offense was spurred by a home run from Lauren Rossi in the seventh. Central Michigan scored in three innings to claim the victory. The Chippewas scored one run in the third, three runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth. In the sixth, reliever Lisa Akamine gave up one run on a Merchant groundout. Hill took the loss for Penn State. She went five innings, gave up one walk, struck out six, and allowed five runs. Penn State took the lead in the first inning. After Ashley Griffith singled the game was tied when Hill came to the plate against Dornbos with one out and a runner on second. She singled scoring Griffith from second. Penn State's next game is on Wednesday, March 10 against St. Josephs in Clearwater, Fla. in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Penn State outlasts South Florida in 10 innings

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 22:58:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Penn State softball team was down to its final two outs, but Lauren Rossi (Yardley, Pa.) doubled home a run and the Lions went on to win, 4-2, over South Florida in 10 innings. Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif.) pitched a career high 10 innings with a career-tying 11 strikeouts in the win. In the seventh inning, Penn State (12-6) was down 1-0 with one away, Desi Giordano (West Caldwell, N.J.) came in to pinch hit, walking on five pitches. Mary Ostman (Northbrook, Ill.) came into run for Giordano and Rossi produced another clutch hit, emulating her game-tying RBI single vs. Colorado State with a double to right center, scoring Ostman from first. Rossi advanced to third on the throw. Unfortunately, PSU couldn't push anyone else across as Alyssa Renwick (Lauens, S.C.) flied to left and Bell grounded to second base. With the international tiebreaker rule in effect for the extra innings, putting runners on second base at every half-inning, Alyssa Renwick (Laurens, S.C.) laid a perfect bunt single down, moving Danielle Noll (Bald Eagle, Pa.) to third. Renwick made a heads up play, taking second base when no one from USF (6-7) was covering. Renwick's play forced Bulls pitcher Capri Catalano to intentionally walk Cassidy Bell to load the bases and Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) singled to left centerfield, scoring Noll and Renwick for Penn State's first lead of the game at 3-1. Hill was hit by a pitch to again load the bases and Danee Collett (Orange, Calif.) lofted a sacrifice flyout to rightfield, scoring Bell from third for a 4-1 advantage. In the bottom of the tenth, the Bulls managed to put runners on the corners with two outs, but a chopper to Hill was thrown away at first, allowing Cat Olnick to score. Nevertheless, Hill buckled down and got Tara Toscano to groundout to second, ending the game and giving Penn State its first win when trailing after six innings this season. Hill threw 10 full frames allowing four hits, one earned run and two walks while striking out 11 batters. She improved to 7-3, but Catalano fell to 2-1 on the season in the loss. USF was able to push a run across in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gina Kafalas got on with a bunt single, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, the first out of the inning. USF shortstop Alison Savarese's grounder drove home Kafalas for the lone run of the afternoon. Penn State managed to load the bases in the top of the sixth inning when Cassidy Bell (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) registered one-out singles. After a Hill's foul flyout to right moved Bell to third, Danee Collett (Orange, Calif.) was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout ended the threat. A scary moment happened in the bottom half of the seventh inning when Ostman went running for a foul fly ball and crashed into a concrete barrier bordering the field. Ostman went to the hospital and was released with stiches to her chin. Noll replaced Ostman in rightfield. The contest was the longest game for Penn State in 2010 and the longest since a 2-0 ten-inning loss to then-No. 6 Michigan in 2008. Time-wise at two hours, 51 minutes, it was also the longest game of the year. Rossi's run in the seventh also broke a 21 inning scoreless drought that stretched to Friday's contest vs. Florida Gulf Coast. Penn State was shutout twice in Saturday's action. The Nittany Lions return to play on Tuesday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex when they take on Central Michigan. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. against the Chippewas at Field No. 8 or 9. The game can be followed live through Twitter (@PSULionSoftball) or through GameTracker for livestats.

No. 17 PSU women win quad meet

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 16:42:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 17th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team posted a season-high score of 196.725 to take top honors in a quad meet with No. 12 Michigan, Maryland and Bridgeport. Michigan finished second with a 196.575, Maryland took third with a 195.650 and Bridgeport finished fourth with a 193.200. Freshman Sharaya Musser (Colorado Springs, Colo.) received the Ann Carr award for the second time this season after taking home the first all-around title of her career with a personal best score of 39.600. Senior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) placed second in the all-around with a 39.575 and freshman Madison Merriam (Gaithersburg, Md.) took sixth with a 39.075. Penn State scored a 49.100 on vault, a 49.225 on the uneven bars, a season-high 49.350 on the balance beam and a 49.050 on floor. The Nittany Lions opened the quad meet on vault where Musser scored a personal-best 9.975 for first place. It is her second individual title on the event. Personett placed second with a 9.925. The other top finishers for the Nittany Lions include senior Rosie Smith (Waterford, Pa.) in 15th with a 9.750 and Merriam and junior Danielle Hover (Hamburg, N.Y.) tied for 16th with a 9.725. Penn State moved to bars in the second rotation with sophomore Natalie Ettl taking home the title with a 9.950 to tie her career-high. Musser tied her personal best with a 9.875 to take fourth and Personett scored a 9.825 to tie for fifth. Merriam finished seventh with 9.800 and Smith tied her season-high with a 9.775 to tie for ninth. In the third rotation, Penn State was on beam. Musser earned her third title on beam scoring a personal-best 9.925. Personett tied for third with a 9.900, while senior Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) and senior Allie Southard (Nanuet, N.Y.) tied for seventh with a 9.850. Merriam placed 11th with a career-high 9.825 and Hover posted a career-best 9.800 for 13th. The Nittany Lions closed out the meet on floor with Personett taking top honors with a 9.925. Musser tied with sophomore teammate Daryl Konsevick (Rutherford, N.J.) for sixth with a 9.825. Penn State's other top finishers include, Smith in 12th with a 9.750 and Merriam in 15th with a 9.725.

Lamar holds off Penn State, 8-3

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:54:00 +0000

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Jordan Steranka did his best to change the outcome, but he couldn't pilot Penn State Nittany Lions past Lamar Cardinals as the Nittany Lions lost 8-3 at Vincent-Beck Stadium on Sunday. Steranka had a good game at the plate for the Nittany Lions (4-3). He went 1-4, scored one run and drove in one run. Steranka homered in the fourth inning. Eric Harrington earned the win for Lamar (9-2). He allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings. The sophomore pitcher struck out four, gave up two walks and surrendered four hits. Calvin Grumley took the loss for Penn State. He went four innings, gave up two walks, struck out none, and allowed four runs. Lamar was unable to make good contact against David Lutz. The Cardinals managed no hits off of the senior pitcher. Lutz allowed no earned runs, no walks and struck out one during his one inning of work. Aaron Buchanan, Joey Latulippe and Ted Zentek helped lead the Cardinals. They combined for five hits, five runs batted in and four visits to home plate. Lamar closer Cory Holley got the final 10 outs to pick up the save. Lamar ran the table in the fifth, bringing in six runs. In the inning, reliever Jesse Alfreno gave up one run on a Wade Mathis walk. Later that inning, two runs came in when Zentek doubled and Latulippe singled and a run came in when Pablo Salinas walked. Penn State's next game is on Tuesday, March 9 at Texas A&. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Penn State men stay hot, drop Purdue

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 14:42:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 42nd-ranked Penn State men's tennis team (10-1, 1-0) opened Big Ten play on Sunday with a 6-1 victory over the No. 65 Purdue Boilermakers at the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center. The Nittany Lions have won eight consecutive matches with two of the wins coming against ranked opponents. Penn State came out and grabbed the doubles point, winning all three matches. Two of the doubles matches were decided by two points. From there, the Lions went on to win five of the six singles bouts to secure a 6-1 victory. The Nittany Lions took an early advantage in doubles competition on court No. 2 when senior Ryan Gormley (Las Vegas, Nev.) and freshman Warren Hardie (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) faced Purdue's P.J. Rose and Thomas Wilson. The Nittany Lion tandem got off to a great start as they led 3-0. Purdue threatened by winning two of the next three games, but Gormley and Hardie were able to hold them off in an 8-4 decision. In the No. 1 bout, junior Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) and sophomore Jason Lee (Melbourne, Australia) teamed up against Purdue's Branko Kuzmanovic and Slavko Bijelica. Bourchier and Lee held a 4-1 lead through the first five games, but Kuzmanovic and Bijelica rallied to tie it back up at four. The two tandems went on to exchange the next four points, resulting in a 6-6 score through 12 games. Lee and Bourchier finished strong though by winning the next two games and ending in an 8-6 victory. With Bourchier and Lee's victory, Penn State clinched the doubles point. With the doubles point already decided, senior Guillaume St-Maurice (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) and sophomore Taylor Cohen (Philadelphia, Pa.) faced Purdue's Eric Ramos and Paul Foley. The match went back and forth, as there were seven ties and four lead changes. With the match tied at seven though, St-Maurice and Cohen won the final two games to garner the 9-7 victory. With Penn State leading 1-0, the match moved to singles action. On court No. 2, Gormley picked up a straight-set 6-2, 6-4 victory over Rose to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead in the overall match. With the victory, Gormley improves to 6-4 on the season and 3-1 when playing in the No. 2 position. In the No. 1 matchup, Bourchier took on Bijelica. With the first set tied at five, Bourchier won the final two games to go up a set. In the second stanza, the two were tied up at three. Bourchier went on another run, taking the final three games to earn a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Bijelica. With the victory, Bourchier improved to a perfect 9-0 for the 2010 season. Penn State had a 3-0 lead. Penn State clinched the match in the No. 4 bout, where Hardie took on the Boilermakers' Ramos. In the first set, Hardie jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Ramos was able to cut Hardie's lead to 3-2, but the Penn State freshman went on to win three of the final four games to capture the first frame. Ramos then forced a third set by winning the second set, 7-5. In the third set, Ramos had a 2-0 lead. However, Hardie won the final six games to win his second consecutive three-set match. With the match already decided, freshman Bryan Welnetz (Laredo, Texas) earned his team-leading 10th victory of the season as he downed Foley, 6-3, 6-1. St-Maurice picked up a straight-set 6-1, 6-3 victory over Thomas Wilson in the No. 6 to win his seventh consecutive match. The overall match came to an end in the No. 3 bout, where Kuzmanovic defeated Lee in three sets, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. The Nittany Lions will head down south on March 11 for a dual with Coastal Carolina. Penn State will then travel to Montgomery, Ala. on March 18 for the Blue-Gray Tournament, featuring some of the top teams in the country. #42 Penn State 6 #65 Purdue 1 Doubles 1. Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) def. Branko Kuzmanovic/Slavko Bijelica (Purdue), 8-6 2. Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) def. P.J. Rose/Thomas Wilson (Purdue), 8-4 3. Guillaume St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Eric Ramos/Paul Foley (Purdue), 9-7 Order of finish: 2, 1, 3 Singles 1. Eddie Bourchier (PSU) def. Slavko Bijelica (Purdue), 7-5, 6-3 2. Ryan Gormley (PSU) def. P.J. Rose (Purdue), 6-2, 6-4 3. Branko Kuzmanovic (Purdue) def. Jason Lee (PSU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 4. Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Eric Ramos (Purdue), 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 5. Bryan Welnetz (PSU) def. Paul Foley (Purdue), 6-3, 6-1 6. Guillaume St-Maurice (PSU) def. Thomas Wilson (Purdue), 6-1, 6-3 Order of finish: 2, 1, 4, 5, 6, 3

Lamar shuts out Penn State, 4-0

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 21:04:00 +0000

BEAUMONT, Texas -- An exceptional effort by Matison Smith was the key element for the Lamar Cardinals in a 4-0 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-2) on Saturday at Vincent-Beck Stadium in the YMBL Cardinal Classic. The Nittany Lions weren't able to score a run off of Smith during his nine innings on the mound. He allowed four hits, three walks and struck out six. Part of the reason Smith pitched so well was his solid pitching with two outs. He allowed no hits in nine at bats. The Cardinals (8-1) scored three runs in the first inning to build an early lead. In the inning, Steven Hill gave up one run on a Quentin Luquette single. Later that inning, two runs came in when Wade Mathis singled. Luquette drove in two Cardinals runners. He went 2-2 at the plate. In addition to his single in the first, Luquette flew out in the seventh inning scoring Aaron Buchanan. Lamar scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Cardinals scored three runs in the first and one run in the seventh. Hill took the loss for Penn State. He went six innings, gave up two walks, struck out one, and allowed three runs. Penn State's next game is on Sunday, March 7 against Lamar in Beaumont, Texas in the YMBL Cardinal Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Penn State shut out in doubleheader sweep

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 20:17:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Penn State Nittany Lion softball team struggled at the plate and in the field, falling to Ball State (1-0) and Florida International (5-0) on Saturday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. Penn State falls to 2-2 at the USF Under Armour Invitational. In a tight battle with the Ball State Cardinals (8-5), Penn State put two runners on in each of the first two innings against Elizabeth Milian (7-1), the reigning Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, but no one could drive runs home. Ace Jackie Hill (San Jose, Calif.) was outstanding again, going six full innings with just two hits and a walk allowed with eight strikeouts and no earned runs. The lone run came in the bottom of the third on a series of errors by the Nittany Lions. Three successive errors allowed Alicia Barkley to lay down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Lisa Rozanski from third base. After the first two innings, Penn State couldn't muster any offense, in the end leaving five runners on base to start Saturday. Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.), Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.) and Morgan Long (Oro Valley, Ariz.) hit successfully, Long's was a double. In the second game of the day, the defense would again come undone as Penn State (11-6) committed four errors against the FIU Panthers. After a first-inning RBI single, things unraveled in the second with two outs when a grounder to Long seemed to end the half inning, but the ball scooted off her glove and allowed Beth Peller to score from second. Jessie Alfonso singled and another error on a flyout to rightfield allowed two more runs to score, giving the Golden Panthers a 4-0 lead. FIU would tack on another run in the fifth inning for the final 5-0 scoreline as Penn State put just two hits into play, a double by Akamine and a single by Mary Ostman (Northbrook, Ill.). Akamine went the distance striking out two, but just two runs were tagged to her line. The Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday when they take on the host team South Florida Bulls at the Eddie C. Moore Complex Field No. 8. Game time is set for Noon and live video streaming will be available for the game.

Seven-run 2nd helps PSU drop Dallas Baptist

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 19:11:00 +0000

BEAUMONT, Texas -- The Penn State Nittany Lions used one strong inning to defeat the Dallas Baptist Patriots on Saturday. A seven-run explosion in the second inning lifted the Nittany Lions to a 10-4 victory at Vincent-Beck Stadium in the YMBL Cardinal Classic. In the second, Stuart Pudenz gave up two runs on a Steve Snyder double. Later that inning, two runs came in when Jordan Steranka homered and runs came in when Sean Deegan tripled, Joey DeBernardis singled and later came home on a wild pitch. The Nittany Lions (4-1) offense was spurred by a home run from Mario Eramo in the seventh, in addition to Steranka's home run. Neal Herring earned the victory for Penn State. He allowed two runs over six innings. The freshman pitcher struck out none, gave up four walks and surrendered four hits. Pudenz lasted just 1 1/3 innings on the mound for the Patriots (7-4) before being replaced. He allowed four hits and six runs. Dallas Baptist was unable to make good contact against David Lutz. The Patriots managed no hits off of the senior pitcher. Lutz allowed no earned runs, no walks and struck out none during his two-thirds of an inning of work. Eramo and Snyder helped lead the Nittany Lions. They combined for three hits, three runs batted in and two visits to home plate. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

PSU blasts 19 hits, drops McNeese State

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

BEAUMONT, Texas - Behind seven strong innings from sophomore Ryan Ignas (North Wales, Pa.) and yet another home run from junior Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.), the Penn State baseball team topped McNeese State, 12-6 at the YMBL Cardinal Classic on Friday. The Nittany Lions (3-1), who finished with 19 hits for the game, jumped out to an early lead and wouldn't look back. The squad now prepares for two games on Saturday, against Dallas Baptist (12 p.m. ET) and host Lamar (3:30 p.m. ET). The Lions' 19 hits mark the most since last Apr. 11 when they had 20 in an 11-9 win over Purdue. Sophomores Sean Deegan (Readington, N.J.), Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and Jordan Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the way with three hits apiece while Deegan and Steranka each scored and drove in a pair. All nine members of the starting lineup recorded a hit, with seven finishing with multiple base knocks. Heath finished 2-for-5, already his third multi-hit game of the season. He finished with a career-high four RBI and now has seven in the last two games and eight for the season. He also stole his first-career base in the second inning, one of three Nittany Lion swipes on the day. "It's a good start for me," said Heath. "You've just got to keep swinging and keep working in the cage without getting complacent with anything. I've had a lot of people helping me. I feel good and want to just keep that up." Ignas was strong on the mound once again, only allowing two runs in seven innings. He allowed five hits while walking one and striking out a career-high six. "I was trying to do the same thing that I did my last start, just trying to keep the ball down and let my fielders do all the work," said Ignas. "One through nine, we hit the ball, which makes it a little bit easier [having] a nice lead. Everybody did their part." Penn State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when DeBernardis swatted a two-out single to center field, scoring junior Heath Johnson (Alamagordo, N.M.) from second for the early advantage. McNeese State tied the score in the second behind Josh Cholley's RBI double down the third base line, plating Matt Fontenot to make it 1-1. The Lions came right back with three in the bottom of the inning for a 4-1 advantage. Senior Louie Picconi (North Merrick. N.Y.) led off with a sharp single to right field and reached third on freshman Steve Snyder's (West Chester, Pa.) double. Picconi then scored on Deegan's infield single before Snyder crossed the plate on Steranka's RBI groundout. Heath then made it a three-run cushion with a line drive single to left, scoring Deegan. Penn State got some breathing room in the fourth, plating three runs for a 7-1 advantage. It was Heath who came up big once again, crushing his fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot well over the wall in left to plate Johnson and Steranka. The Cowboys got a run back in the fifth, but the Lions made it 8-2 after six full when Deegan hit an infield single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Steranka single. The Nittany Lions had five more hits in the seventh and scored three more times for an 11-2 lead. Junior DeBernardis, Snyder, Deegan, Johnson and junior Bobby Jacobs (West Chester, Pa.) all singled to spark the outburst. McNeese State cut the lead to 11-5 with three in the top of the eighth off sophomores Mike Franklin (Harleysville, Pa.) and Drew Irsfeld (Eugene, Ore.), but freshman Luis Montesinos (Miami, Fla.) tacked on Penn State's 12th run with a sacrifice fly in his first collegiate plate appearance. The Cowboys added a run in the ninth, but Irsfeld got out of the jam with a 1-6-3 double play to send Penn State home winners. Penn State continues the YMBL Cardinal Classic on Saturday against Dallas Baptist (12 p.m. ET) and Lamar (3:30 p.m. ET). The Lions then play Lamar for a second time on Sunday (2 p.m. ET) before moving onto College Station where they face Texas A&M on Tuesday and Wednesday. Season and individual game tickets are now available can be purchased online or over the phone. Please call 1-877-997-7453 or (814) 272-1711, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for more information. Fans can also direct any additional questions or comments via phone, or by email (psubaseball@athletics.psu.edu).

Nittany Lions get blowout over Cowboys

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 22:39:00 +0000

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Penn State captured a 12-6 blowout victory over McNeese State (4-5) without scoring more than three runs in any inning. Instead the Nittany Lions (3-1) scored in six different innings on their way to the win. The Nittany Lions scored one run in the first, three runs in the second, three runs in the fourth, one run in the sixth, three runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to get the win. In all of that the second was the big inning for Penn State. In the inning, Tyler Davis gave up one run on a Sean Deegan single. Later that inning, runs came in when Jordan Steranka grounded out and Ben Heath singled. Heath drove in four Nittany Lions runners. He went 2-5 at the plate. In addition to his single in the second, Heath homered in the fourth inning scoring Steranka and Heath Johnson. Six strikeouts helped Ryan Ignas get the victory for Penn State. He allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk over seven innings. The game was a team effort for the Nittany Lions with every starter getting at least one hit. Davis took the loss for McNeese State. He went four innings, gave up one walk, struck out four, and allowed seven runs. Deegan and Steranka helped lead the Nittany Lions. They combined for six hits, four RBIs and four runs scored. Penn State's next game is on Saturday, March 6 against Dallas Baptist in Beaumont, Texas in the YMBL Cardinal Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

New football award named in JoePa's honor

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:25:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 5, 2010 – The contributions of Penn State's Joe Paterno will be annually recognized by the Maxwell Football Club, which today announced the creation of the Joseph V. Paterno Award. The announcement was made by the Maxwell Club hours before of its 73rd Annual Awards Banquet in Atlantic City, N.J. The Maxwell Club presents 13 high school, college and professional football awards each year at its black-tie dinner. ""I'm deeply honored,"" Paterno stated. ""The Maxwell Club is one of the great organizations nationally for college football and all levels of the game. They have contributed tremendously to our game by recognizing many of the people who have made an impact in football. The Maxwell Club has been a real asset for many years in promoting the game of football in greater Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania."" The specific criteria for the Joseph V. Paterno Award is in the development stage. The recipient will be a college football coach, with the selection criteria including the impact the coach has had on his University, student-athletes in the program, community and state. The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee to be determined by the Maxwell Club. Paterno is a previous recipient of two of the Maxwell Club's awards. The Hall of Fame mentor won the George Munger Award, presented to the college football coach of the year, in 1990, 1994 and 2005. Paterno was presented the Reds Bagnell Award for contributions to the game of football in 1999. Paterno concluded his 60th season on the Penn State coaching staff by extending his Football Bowl Subdivision record to 394 career victories with a 19-17 win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day. He owns an all-time mark of 394-129-3 and his 75.2 winning percentage is second-best among active coaches with at least 10 years as an FBS head coach. A 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, Paterno is preparing for his 45th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions. The all-time leader in bowl victories (24) and appearances (36), his 68.0 bowl winning percentage (24-11-1 mark) is first all-time among coaches with at least 15 post-season appearances, The Nittany Lions are 17-7 in New Year's bowls under Paterno. Paterno has led Penn State to national championships in 1982 and '86, five unbeaten and untied seasons (1968, '69, '73, '86, '94) and 15 seasons with at least 11 victories, including three in the past five years. He is college football's all-time leader in 10-win (21 years) and 11-win seasons. A 1950 graduate of Brown University, Paterno has led Penn State to 23 Top 10 finishes in the final polls, also a record for a major college coach. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 8 in the final 2009 USA Today Coaches poll and No. 9 in the Associated Press poll. Paterno also has seen more than 350 of his players sign NFL contracts, and produced 77 first team All-Americans, 44 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans (34 first team), 15 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athletes and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners during his legendary career. Penn State has had 12 Academic All-Americans over the past four seasons (10 first-team), leading the nation in each of the past two years (five in 2008, three in 2009). Under Paterno's leadership, Penn State led all teams ranked in the final 2009 AP poll with an 89 percent federal graduation rate and an 85 percent Graduation Success Rate, according to NCAA data released in November, 2009. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Paterno was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 2007, becoming one of three active coaches to gain induction at the time. He was selected the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Coach of the Year for an unprecedented fifth time in 2005. Paterno also has been selected the Big Ten-Dave McClain Coach of the Year three times, second only to Michigan's Bo Schembechler (four times). Paterno and his wife, Sue, have contributed more than $4 million to Penn State for multiple academic and athletic building projects and to endow scholarships and faculty positions. In 2009, the Paternos pledged $1 million to the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College to assist with a 42,000-square foot expansion of the region's primary medical facility. Joe and Sue Paterno have been actively involved with the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games, held each June on the University Park campus. In 2008, the Paternos were inducted into the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Nittany Lions scores in four innings of win

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 21:37:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions held off the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles for a 4-3 victory at Eddie C. Moore #9 in the USF Under Armour Showcase on Friday. Florida Gulf Coast (7-9) was unable to overcome a two-run third inning deficit. Penn State scored in four innings to claim the victory. Cassidy Bell stole home in the first, Morgan Long scored on a Bell single in the second, Danee Collett scored on a fielding error by shortstop Tiffani Upchurch in the third and Breaux gave up one run on a Ashley Griffith single in the sixth. Cassidy Bell had a good game at the plate for the Nittany Lions (11-4). She went 2-3, scored one run and drove in one run. Bell tripled in the first inning in addition to her single in the second inning. The Eagles showed signs of life in the third and sixth innings, putting up three runs. In the third, two runs came in on when Jessica Gary reached on a fielding error by first baseman Kailyn Johnson. In the sixth, Akamine gave up one run on a Hayley O'Mara single. Akamine earned the victory for Penn State. She allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings. The sophomore pitcher struck out seven, gave up two walks and surrendered five hits. Breaux took the loss for Florida Gulf Coast. She went seven innings, gave up no walks, struck out two, and allowed four runs. Jackie Hill worked out of a couple of tough spots to get the save for the Nittany Lions. She pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed no earned runs on two hits. Hill faced her trickiest moment in the seventh inning. After two singles, the Eagles were trailing by one and had runners on first and second with two outs. Hill then got Upchurch to pop out to end the game. Penn State's next game is on Saturday, March 6 against Ball State in Clearwater, Fla. in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Buckeyes tennis takes Penn State

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 21 Ohio State women's tennis team (12-3, 1-0 Big Ten) opened its conference slate with a 7-0 victory over Penn State (2-8, 0-2 Big Ten) Friday evening in University Park, Pa. The win is the team's fifth-consecutive over the Nittany Lions. Ohio State opened play by sweeping doubles for the seventh time this season, taking the point and a 1-0 lead. Freshmen Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele finished first for the Scarlet and Gray, downing the Nittany Lion duo of Lauren McCarthy and Michaela Stracar, 8-1. The Buckeye tandem is now 9-1 this spring season, with a team-best doubles winning percentage (.900). Christina Keesey and Paloma Escobedo took their match against Petra Januskova and Maria Prishlyak, 8-2. The Ohio State twosome of Kelsey Haviland and Cami Hubbs pushed their season win total to 12 after defeating Sarah Lotto and Amy Simidian, 8-4, at the top doubles spot. Manashirova and Steele extended their co-ownership of the team's best singles record to 17 after both won in straight sets. Steele finished first, posting a 6-1, 6-3 victory over PSU's Sarah Henderson while Manashirova finished with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Stracar. Haviland, playing at the No. 3 position, clinched the win for the Buckeyes after defeating Prishlyak, 6-4, 6-3. Kirsten Flower, ranked 49th nationally in singles, defeated 66th-ranked Januskova in straight sets 6-2, 7-6. The win is Flower's fourth against a ranked opponent this season. Escobedo battled with Penn State's Simidian at the No. 2 spot but came out on top in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6. Keesey defeated McCarthy, 7-6, 6-1, to give the Buckeyes their seventh shutout win of the season. Ohio State remains on the road for the next three matches, playing at Purdue March 12, at Long Beach State March 23 and at Rice March 27. The Scarlet and Gray return to Columbus April 2 to host Minnesota.

Hill lifts Nittany Lions to victory

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 18:35:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A superb effort by Jackie Hill was the key element for the Penn State Nittany Lions in a 3-1 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas (1-4) on Friday at Eddie C. Moore Field in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Eight strikeouts helped Hill get the win for Penn State (10-4). She allowed no earned runs on two hits and two walks over seven innings. Part of the reason Hill pitched so well was her solid pitching when facing leadoff batters. She allowed no hits in seven at bats. Kari Seddon also pitched well. The Nittany Lions were able to scrape together two more runs even though Seddon allowed just six hits hits over seven innings. In the end, the Nittany Lions just had a little bit more working for them. Seddon was a workhorse in the circle for Central Michigan. She pitched seven innings and allowed two earned runs, six hits and four walks while striking out five. Part of the reason Seddon pitched so well was her solid pitching with runners on base. She allowed three hits in 16 at bats. The Nittany Lions held off the Chippewas. Central Michigan was unable to overcome a three-run fourth inning deficit. The Chippewas showed signs of life in the fourth inning, putting up one run. In the inning, Hill gave up one run when Amanda Patrick scored on a fielding error by shortstop Alyssa Renwick. Ashley Griffith had a good game at the plate for the Nittany Lions. She went 1-3, scored one run and drove in one run. Griffith doubled in the third inning. Penn State scored in one inning to claim the victory. The Nittany Lions scored three runs in the third. In addition to Griffith's double, Seddon gave up one run on a Kailyn Johnson double. Later that inning, a run came in when Hill singled. Penn State's next game is on Saturday, March 6 against Ball State in Clearwater, Fla. in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.