Penn State relief pitchers couldn't capitalize on the success of starter Ryan Stobart last night, as the Canisius Golden Griffins downed Penn State 11-6 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Sophomore David Lutz relieved Stobart in the seventh and struck out Canisius' final batter to preserve a 4-4 tie, but the momentum ended there for Penn State. Lutz drilled the next hitter he faced and Canisius scored four runs in the eighth and added three more in the ninth off of Lutz, Scott Kelley and Mike Pierce.
Lutz had surgery on his pitching arm as a freshman and was experimenting with a new delivery angle for the first time.
"I came in, I felt good. Obviously that one got away from me," Lutz said of the bean ball. "I think that a few of my pitches were up. This was my first time out there with a new arm angle -- side arm."
Stobart pitched 6.2 solid innings for Penn State, striking out five and allowing only four earned runs.
He got into trouble in the sixth when Golden Griffin Kevin Mahoney blasted a home run into right field. Despite his pitcher giving up the solo shot, Penn State coach Robbie Wine liked his senior's performance, saying, "He pitched a good game."
Senior catcher Joe Blackburn had the best offensive day for Penn State with a hit, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base. Penn State got its offensive play of the game from junior outfielder Ryan Boonie.
Boonie sped past the ball as it crept down the first base line after a perfect bunt that scored Blackburn. It was the second bunt single in four games for the outfielder.
In the ninth, Penn State left the bases loaded when Blackburn flew out to right field. Although Penn State couldn't muster enough offense in the late innings, Wine said he was impressed with his team's effort and that things were getting better for the Lions.
"Our offense is coming around," Wine said.
"There were some good at bats time after time. We still have a couple holes there where guys need to step up and do a better job of being tough outs and that's what it boils down to."
"It's coming around and it's going to keep getting better."
Stobart said he was pleased with the way he pitched, but not with the way the game got away in the later innings.
"We played them tough, we'll just leave the first seven innings, you know," Stobart said. "It's going to happen, it probably won't be the first time, so I mean, whatever. Do you like seeing it? No. Is it going to happen? Yeah. Is it baseball? Yeah. Has it happened before? Yeah, absolutely."
