Sluggers' slide leads to series split

The team started the series two games up before the bottom dropped out along with the momentum, causing a two-game skid

By CHRIS MASSE
Collegian Sports Writer

Two games into its Big Ten opening series with Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., the Nittany Lion baseball team had reason to smile.

Despite not having played in two weeks, Penn State held a 2-0 lead in the four game series and had received a combination of timely hitting and solid pitching.

Then things fell apart.

First, the Lions (10-11, 2-2 Big Ten) squandered a three-run lead to drop the third game 6-5. Yesterday it got worse as Penn State blew an eight-run lead, suffered through a Hoosier 14-run sixth inning and lost a slugfest 23-17.

"We take an eight-run lead and we give up 14 runs in the sixth. It was incredibly disappointing," Lion coach Joe Hindelang said. "When you score 17 runs you expect to win going away."

Penn State got off to a strong start yesterday and posted a 14-6 lead by the sixth inning. In the bottom half of the inning, however, the Hoosiers (16-12, 2-2) exploded. Lion starter Dan McCall retired the first hitter but then Indiana went 15 batters without making an out, capped off by Brandt Childs' three-run homerun.

Childs, Dan Haegele, Frank O'Connell and Roger Rodeheaver each had two hits in the inning and helped force Penn State to use five different pitchers before the damage concluded.

"Defensively we were out there for about an hour," Hindelang said. "It was like having our hearts taken out."

Lost in the six-run defeat was the Lions' own display of powerful offense. Penn State cranked out 16 hits and five homeruns. Lion designated hitter Chad Witmoyer had the shot of the day, belting a mammoth homerun measured at close to 500 feet from home plate.

Yesterday's loss came on the heels of a frustrating 6-5 loss in the night-cap of Saturday's double-header. Penn State grabbed an early 3-0 lead and seemed destined to clinch the four-game series. Childs, Doug DeVore and Jason Williams each slammed homeruns and rallied the Hoosiers to a 6-5 victory.

In the first game of the double-header the roles were reversed as the Lions spotted Indiana a three-run lead before coming back to win 7-3. Scott Boruta, Dan Beers, Chris Newtall and Adam Beers all went deep to spark the rally. Starting pitcher Dan Goebeler settled down after a rocky start, scattering five hits over seven innings to pick up his third win of the year.

Third baseman Shawn Fagan continued to obliterate opposing pitchers throughout the series going 10-18 with a homer and six runs batted in. Fagan's outstanding series upped his batting average to a team-leading .507.

In the series opener Fagan did a little bit of everything. He capped off his 4-6 afternoon at the plate with a three-run homerun in the tenth to give the Lions a 10-7 lead. Fagan then finished the Hoosiers off on the mound, pitching a scoreless final two innings to earn his first victory of the season.

"This is the first really big streak I've had at Penn State," Fagan said. "The main thing right now is I'm staying focused."

Hindelang said taking the first two games on the road was important since it ensured a split of the series. He added, though, it was disappointing not to win one of the final two contests.

"The positive thing is we split. If you can split on the road you're okay," Hindelang said. "But when you win the first two games you have a great opportunity to win the series and we blew that."