The Penn State baseball team experienced a bit of unwanted déjà vu during its three-game road trip this weekend.

The Nittany Lions (1-3) rallied to win their first game against UNC-Wilmington, 4-3, but dropped the next two at the Hughes Brothers Challenge -- in identical fashion.

Penn State fell to both George Mason and James Madison by the same score, 6-5 -- and ended up losing both contests in the final inning.

"We're definitely disappointed," infielder Michael Milliron said. "We were better than both those teams."

The Lions held a narrow 3-2 lead until the eighth inning of yesterday's contest when James Madison exploded for three crucial runs. Penn State responded with a pair of scores -- but it wasn't enough.

According to Milliron, the Lions were able to put plenty of runners on base. But a lack of timely hitting ultimately did the team in.

With none out in the third inning, Penn State put runners on first and second base. But senior infielder Scott Gummo grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, and junior outfielder Lance Thompson ripped an easy fly ball in the outfield to end the inning.

That frame was fairly indicative of the Lions' batting woes.

"I'm not pleased with the hitting," Penn State coach Robbie Wine said. "In the eighth and ninth inning, I'd take this team against any other team in the country, but we have to learn how to do it for nine innings."

According to Wine, the Lions' hitters have to remain focused during the earlier innings if they want to turn things around. The Dukes' Ryan Reid retired a dozen straight Penn State batters from the fourth frame to the seventh inning.

"If those innings were at the end of the line and they meant something, I think they'd focus a little more," he said. "In nine innings, it's hard to teach college guys how to handle a 2.5- to 3-hour game and keep the intensity level up."

Penn State's bullpen also seemed to struggle down the stretch. Five pitchers saw action in yesterday's matchup, and the Lions were without senior reliever Josh Palm, who rested after playing in the previous two games of the weekend.

While yesterday's contest was disappointing, Saturday's matchup may been even more heartbreaking.

Penn State led 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, but George Mason rallied by scoring three runs in the final frame.

"There's some frustration," Wine said. "I'm disappointed in the outcome, but I'm thinking as a ball club, we'll compete every time out there."

The Lions are slated to play at Maryland-Eastern Shore at 1 p.m. today, where they'll play the fifth game of a 13-game road set.