By: Wichita State
Box Score WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State Shockers (13-6) fell to
the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-6), 9-4 on Sunday afternoon in 11 innings at
Eck Stadium.
Freshman Zach Beringer (0-1) took the loss for the Shockers.
Dave Walking (5-0) earned the win for the Nittany Lions. Wichita State committed five errors and
Penn State committed two errors in the game.
Tyler Grimes scored the first run of the game for the
Shockers after Chris O'Brien smoked a triple to make it 1-0 in the bottom of
the first. Grimes reached base
after he was hit in the back and he advanced on a stolen base and a Kevin Hall
groundout before O'Brien knocked him in.
Penn State tied it 1-1 in the third after an Elliot Searer
single and back to back throwing errors by the Shockers on sacrifice bunt
attempts by the Nittany Lions.
Grimes was hit for the second time in the sixth inning and
advanced to second on a Penn State balk and a throwing error on a sacrifice
bunt attempt by Hall. O'Brien
collected his second RBI of the game with his fielder's choice to score Grimes,
2-1.
Penn State's Jordan Steranka tied the game at 2-2 with his
solo home run over the right field wall to lead off the eighth inning.
After the home run by Steranka, Mario Eramo singled and
Bobby Jacobs and Ryan Clark each walked to load the bases for the Nittany Lions. Blake Lynd hit a chopper that went
under the glove of Grimes to score Jacobs and Eramo to give Penn State a 4-2
lead.
The Shockers answered in the bottom of the eighth when Johnny
Coy tied the game at 4-4 with his double off the centerfield wall to score
Grimes, who was walked and O'Brien, who had been hit by a pitch.
Lynd led off the 11th with a walk for Penn
State. He stole second and
advanced to third base by a Searer groundout. Sean Deegan tripled to centerfield to give the Nittany Lions
a 5-4 lead. Luis Montesinos pushed
their lead to 6-4 with his single to plate Deegan. Eramo added a three-run home run to give Penn State a 9-4
lead. He finished 3-for-5 with a
home run, two runs scored and three RBI.
Coy finished 1-for-5 with two RBI and O'Brien was 1-for-3
with two RBI as well for Wichita State.
Next action for the Shockers will be Tuesday night at home
when they face the Air Force Falcons.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
