Even fleeing State College for the warm South couldn't keep the Nittany Lions from foul weather, as yesterday's baseball game was rained out.

Penn State (0-1) lost its opener on Saturday to the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 6-3, in Charlotte.

The 49ers jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Lions cut it in half in the sixth inning. Penn State left five runners in scoring position stranded, including two in the third inning with one out.

In his head coaching debut, Penn State coach Robbie Wine said that he was pleased with his team's effort, but the rain took away another chance for the Lions to work off the winter rust.

"We played with a lot of consistency," Wine said. "The bats just weren't there yet."

Sean Stidfole (0-1) got the opening day start for the Lions.

He pitched scoreless baseball the first two innings before allowing two runs in the third. Stidfole didn't make it out of the fourth. He finished with five strikeouts, five runs allowed and eight hits.

Sophomore Craig Clark pitched a solid four innings in relief, giving up three hits, one run and striking out four.

In the sixth inning the Lions' bats finally came out of hibernation. Senior shortstop Michael Milliron laced a double into the right field gap to get it all started, and scored four batters later on Matt Lewis' single. In the same inning, third baseman Colin Runt knocked in two with a single.

The Lions finished with six hits and 10 strikeouts, but six different people accounted for hits.

The problem for the Lions, which is common in early season baseball, is that those hits weren't all in opportune times.

The team will be back in North Carolina next weekend for a three-game series, and Wine is hoping to build on the initial effort.

"The whole lineup competed well and the pitchers competed well," he said. "That's what you ask for this time of year."