For the type of weekend Penn State and Minnesota shared together on the baseball field, it would have been better if both kept their aces up their sleeves.

A 2-2 split of the four-game series was only fitting after 32 innings that lasted nearly 11 hours, including a season-long game of 3:27 in yesterday's finale, which Minnesota (17-15, 9-3 Big Ten) won, 11-8.

After seeing Minnesota's top arm, Jim Loberg (5-3), lose his 25-inning scoreless streak on Friday after he gave up nine runs in 3.1 innings, Penn State left-hander Alan Stidfole (4-2) let up six runs of his own in four innings, ending his 33.1-inning scoreless streak.

Minnesota used a slow, body-shot type style to stretch out the series and earn the split after dropping the first game, 13-5, winning the second, 5-3, and losing, 7-5, in the third.

Yesterday, Penn State (19-12, 7-5) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning off of Aaron Greenfield's fifth home run of the season, but a six-run fourth put the Golden Gophers up to stay.

"The first three innings, we had a really good pace going, and we were trying to speed-pitch," Greenfield said. "They're all about taking their time in the box, and that's their game, and it drives the pitcher crazy."

Stidfole faced just 10 batters the first three innings, but all nine Gophers in the fourth. Stidfole walked two of the first three batters and allowed three hits before Minnesota center fielder Tony Leseman hit a three-run shot over the left-field wall to cap the inning.

Gophers' batters continually stepped out of the box, took pitches and did anything they could to disrupt Stidfole's rhythm, and it proved effective.

"Once I started to tire out and settle in a little bit, they did too," said Stidfole, whose brother Sean picked up his fifth win on Friday. "They got that one run in, and it's a little letdown, but it just seemed like our team was a little relaxed today altogether, and I don't know if I was as focused as I should have been."

Minnesota continued to get runners on base all series, whether by the 18 walks Penn State allowed, or the 47 hits, 41 of which were singles. In return, the Nittany Lions induced six double plays and forced 37 runners to be left on base.

Penn State even recorded a triple play on Saturday, on a ground ball hit to third baseman Scott Gaffney, who fired it to second baseman Jim Leitgeb, who sent it to Scott Gummo.

Yesterday, though, the Lions hit into three double plays, killing the second, third and fifth innings. With Minnesota closer John Gaub and his mid-90s fastball waiting in the bullpen, the Lions made a last-ditch effort in the seventh inning, due to the bizarre play of the weekend.

Derrick Barr hit the first pitch he saw all series for a two-out RBI single, making it 8-6. Gopher pitcher Jon Mueller then did the old fake to third, throw to first trick, and picked off Barr. Jeremy Chlan of Minnesota ran Barr back to the base but at the last second saw, Lance Thompson running home and fired to the catcher. The throw went wild, and Thompson's run made it a one-run game when Minnesota could have ended the inning by tagging Barr out for the third out.

In the next inning, Minnesota laced five straight singles and scored three more runs to put the game out of reach, 11-7.

"We weren't gonna let down, and we were gonna get our hacks in and see what happens," Penn State coach Robbie Wine said. "That three spot in the eighth kind of took the wind out of our sails."

Minnesota, the reigning Big Ten champion the past five years, and Penn State went through a combined 27 pitchers, amassed 96 hits and scored 57 runs together.

Penn State used more of a big-blow offense, with 16 extra-base hits, six of them being home runs. Minnesota used more of a blitzkrieg tactic, just firing shots, stretching the game and never giving up.

"That's their style, grunt it out and go the other way and just keep hitting," Greenfield said. "They like to slow the game down. That takes its toll."

In the end, both teams earned a couple of days off.