Richmond proves too strong for sluggers

Penn State baseball coach Joe Hindelang was pretty optimistic a week ago after his squad swept a three-game series against Norfolk State. He was excited his team rebounded so well from an 0-2 start to the season and appeared to be headed in the right direction.

But what Hindelang may have forgotten to warn his team about was that, in order to continue its winning streak, Penn State would have to outplay a Richmond squad coming off two wins against Navy the week before.

"Their league is ranked about sixth or seventh in the nation," Hindelang said last week. "They've always been a solid team."

The Nittany Lions (3-5) found out this weekend just how solid Richmond is, as they dropped a three-game set to the Spiders (7-2) at Richmond's Pitt Field.

Penn State lost both games of Saturday's doubleheader, dropping game one, 9-4, and game two, 6-2. The Spiders got on the board early in game one, going up 1-0 on an RBI double by Matt Pusey in the first inning.

Penn State tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth but gave up five runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Spiders' big inning proved too much for Penn State to overcome.

Penn State starting pitcher Nate Bump was yanked with two outs in the fourth after giving up five earned runs on nine hits. Bump took the loss, dropping him to 1-2 on the season.

The parade of blunders continued for Penn State in game two, as three first-inning errors spotted Richmond a 6-0 lead. Penn State pitcher Greg Arnold suffered the loss despite throwing a complete game four-hitter. A bright spot for Penn State was junior Jeremy Deitrick, who went 3-for-3 with a home run and scored the only two runs for Penn State.

"Everybody's gonna make mistakes," Penn State shortstop Adam Beers said. "In the first and second games we combined for seven errors. In the first game the grass was still wet from the rain in the morning."

The grass was dryer Sunday, but Penn State's woes continued, as it fell again, this time, 9-8. The Lions jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when senior catcher Jared Sadlowski belted a two-run home run off Richmond's Justin Lamber.

But the Spiders continued their solid hitting and forged across three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and another two in the sixth.

The Lions regained the lead, 8-7, with four runs in the top of the seventh and held it going into the bottom of the ninth. But the Spiders came to life in their last at-bat.

Catcher Jamie Cappetta led off with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Richard Smith. Smith was singled in by John Wagler. Two batters later Pusey won the game for the Spiders when he singled to drive in Wagler.

"That kid came up with a big hit," Beers said. "That kind of things happens."

Penn State's Matt Dalsey took the loss, giving up two earned runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.

"It was really disheartening. In the first two games they went ahead early, and in the third game we went ahead," Beers said. "I would have liked to get these wins under our belt."