PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – An incredible 9th inning for Penn State as they score 14 runs, 17 in the last two innings, for a 19-6 win over Pitt at PNC Park Tuesday night.
The Nittany Lions would bat around twice in their final at bat. The first runs coming as Penn-Trafford native Josh Spiegel hammered a three-run homer and give the Nittany Lions the lead back.
“It’s a great feeling,” Spiegel said. “Just trying to put the ball in play hard and try to get that one run in because that run would tie it. Just got a pitch out over the plate and was able to drive it.”
“I think that one home run just flipped the script,” said PSU DH Matt Wood, a Pine-Richland grad. “I think we were confident that if that’s all we got, that we were going to shut the door anyway. To keep piling it on like that was pretty fun. It’s what you dream of when you play baseball, just keep passing the bat along and every one is going up there loose and fun.”
Kyle Hannon would follow with a three-run homer as PSU got the 14 runs on seven hits (two homers, a triple, four singles) as the Panthers walked four and hit two other batters.
“I preach the same stuff all year,” said Pitt Head Coach Mike Bell. “Whether you just got beat 19-6 or 7-6, the loss counts the same. It’s going to sting for 12 hours and we’ll get ready for an ACC series.”
The ninth coming after an adventurous eighth where the Nittany Lions took control with a three-run top of the inning for a 5-1 lead. The Panthers fought back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to enter the ninth up a run and ready to add a key win to the resume in hopes of closing in on a NCAA Tournament berth.
“We all know that when Pitt and Penn State play, it means something,” said Penn State Head Coach Rob Cooper. “I know it meant a lot to our guys.”
“Being from Pittsburgh it’s Pirates, Penguins, Steelers,” Spiegel said. “It was a great feeling to be out there. I played here in high school. The feeling today with these guys, it kind of felt like we were big leaguers.”
Notes
· Pine-Richland graduate Matt Wood went 2 for 3 scoring four times and now hitting .407 on the season for the Nittany Lions.
· Nittany Lions won for the second straight time in Pittsburgh and the second time in the last six meetings.
· Number 9 hitter Derek Cease went 3 for 5 as five PSU hitters had multiple hit nights and every Penn State starter had a hit
· Pitt left 15 on base, 7 in the first three innings
· Bryce Hulett had three hits, Jeffrey Wehler and Brock Franks with two hits each.
Penn State (25-24) hosts Illinois for the final Big 10 series of the year starting Thursday at 5p. The conference tournament begins May 25 in Omaha.
Panthers host Georgia Tech for the final series of their regular season starting Friday night at 6p, then Saturday at 6p and Sunday at 1p. The ACC Tournament begins in Charlotte on May 24.
“These guys love to show up and play for each other,” Bell said. “It’s not always sexy. They can go out and do some special things. In a two out of three series, they can do some special things.”