Righthander Dean Kerns pitched a one-hitter yesterday, shutting out Purdue, 9-0, in the final contest of the four-game weekend at Ward Lambert Field in West Lafayette, Ind.

In his first complete game of the season, Kerns struck out seven and walked three, moving his record to 3-0 on the season.

"To my knowledge, it was the best game he pitched all season, and we needed it," Coach Joe Hindelang said. "He really rose to the occasion."

Kerns' victory, however, was the only one for Penn State (7-10, 1-3 in the Big Ten), as the Nittany Lions lost the first three games played on Friday and Saturday.

Hindelang said his team wasn't aggressive enough in the first two, which resulted in 3-0 and 10-9 losses to the team that finished third last year in the Big Ten.

The pitchers' lack of control on the ball was evidently a key factor in Purdue's three victories, especially for Lion hurlers Randy Geis and Matt Weimer, who started the first two outings. The two combined for 11 walks in six and a third innings pitched.

But the most painful walk was given up in the third game by Mike McHugh in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded, McHugh threw four straight balls to walk in the final run for Purdue.

"There were two close calls that easily could've been called strikes," Hindelang said of the play that put the 4-3 game in the loss column. "That was a difficult loss to swallow."

A possible explanation for the Lions' improved performance in the final two games may have been moving Ryan Wheeler from second base back to shortstop, the position to which he's more accustomed.

Hindelang said Wheeler posted some great defensive plays, not to mention the offensive punch he provided in the final game, going 2-for-2 with two walks and one RBI.

"We didn't play up to their level at first," Wheeler said. "Maybe we were a little too confident. But one series doesn't make a season. There are plenty of games left to make sure things turn around."