May 21, 2003
Penn State Box Score in PDF Format
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Northwestern opened the 2003 Big Ten Tournament with a 6-0 first-round loss to Penn State at Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Minn. The Wildcats failed to capitalize in key opportunities, leaving 14 runners on base, including eight in scoring position. Penn State stranded 11 runners, but scored two runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
"The bottom line is there were opportunities there all day," said head coach Paul Stevens. "We just didn't get the key hits when we needed to and that was really depressing early in the game. When you've got bases loaded and you have a group of upper classmen going up to the plate and nobody touches the baseball, it's gut check time."
NU begins its trek through the losers bracket tomorrow at noon, taking on the winner of the Michigan/Indiana game.
The trouble started early as NU left the bases loaded in the top of the second inning. Junior Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) hit a leadoff single to right and moved to second when freshman Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) walked. Senior Brandon Ackley's (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) sacrifice bunt was mishandled by the Nittany Lion third baseman, which loaded the bases. But PSU starter Jim Farrell struck out the next three Wildcats to end the threat. Farrell ended the game with seven Ks in six-plus innings pitched.
"(Jim) Farrell did a good job of keeping us off balance," said Stevens about the Penn State starting pitcher. "He stepped up when his team needed him and played big time baseball today."
NU ran into more trouble in the third, stranding another runner at third in the bottom of third inning. Once again, Farrell stepped to the forefront as he induced a strikeout to end the Wildcat threat. Gresky was walked on four pitches and moved to second on shortstop Jon Mikrut's (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) sacrifice bunt. Junior Jason Krynski (Niles, Ill./Niles West) hit a groundball to second base, moving Gresky to third with two outs.
After four complete innings, the two teams combined to leave 12 runners on base.
Penn State touched Wildcat starter Dan Konecny (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) for two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Wes Roehr and Clint Eury had RBI hits in the inning. Roehr hit a double to the left-centerfield wall and Eury lined a single to center.
NU continued to strand runners on base, as NU left two more on in the sixth, running its game total to 10 in the first six innings.
Northwestern's leadoff hitter reached for the fifth time in seven innings as, Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) led off the seventh with a walk. After two outs, senior Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. But just like in six of the previous seven innings, Ori and Tharp were left stranded after Lion reliever Eury coaxed a fly ball out to end the inning.
Penn State jumped all over Konecny to start the bottom of the seventh, as the Wisconsin native gave up three straight singles. PSU scored one run on the three hits. After a Konecny walk, head coach Paul Stevens brought in Chris Hayes (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) from the bullpen.
Hayes walked the first batter he faced, making the score 4-0 Penn State. The walk was quickly followed by a wild pitch, which allowed the runners to advance 90-feet, and giving the Lions a 5-0 lead. After a groundout to first, PSU botched a suicide squeeze, allowing catcher Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) to tag out the runner at home. A groundball to Wycklendt at third base ended the inning.
NU stayed true to form in the eighth, leaving two more runners on base, running the total to 14 in the game.
PSU tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth as Wildcat reliever Julio Siberio (Davie, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. Siberio replaced Hayes to start the eighth. A one-out sacrifice fly to deep left field scored the run for the Nittany Lions.