Live Blog: Penn State Sunday DH – Game 1

Hoosiers attempt to even up the series with the Nittany Lions

By Carl James @jovian34 April 2nd, 2023 – photo of Bobby Whalen rounding first by Zach Greene

Bottom 9th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1 (FINAL)

Morgan Colopy in for defense makes a warning track grab on a deep fly ball carrying in the wind. Whalen then makes a similar play in center. A fly ball ends it and Kraft gets credited with the win.

Top 9th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Carter Mathison is the pinch hitter with Indiana really hoping for some insurance runs. Mathison grounds out weakly. Glasser draws a two out walk. Bobby Whalen works a full count, but strikes out.

Bottom 8th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Kraft is back out. Devin Taylor makes a diving grab for the first out. Kraft gets a soft come-backer for the second out. A double to the right field wall puts a runner in scoring position.

Top 8th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Indiana has gone ice cold with only 5 hits in 8 innings. Another easy inning for Miller.

Bottom 7th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Kraft allows a lead-off walk and Craig Yoho is now up and throwing. Glasser makes a great play to start a double play that Cerny turns to get two quick outs. Kraft makes short work of the next batter with a four pitch strikeout.

Top 7th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

A single by Taylor is all the Hoosiers can muster. Miller is doing great work at both keeping the game close and saving the rest of the Nittany Lion bullpen for game 2. Coach Mercer not likely happy with Indiana’s inability to put this game away.

Bottom 6th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Kraft makes short work of the Nittany Lions.

Top 6th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Josh Pyne gets a infield single, but is wiped away with a double play. Miller is still making short work of the Hoosier hitters allowing Penn State to keep this one close.

Bottom 5th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Josh Pyne, Tyler Cerny, and Tibbitts combine for a double play to get the Hoosiers back up to bat.

Top 5th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

Penn State pitcher Steven Miller has decent numbers on the year (1.5 WHIP). He’s just having his way with Hoosier hitters so far

Bottom 4th: Indiana 4, Penn State 1

A one out triple and a double off the wall gets Penn State on the board. Manase gets the second out with an infield pop-up. Penn State Coach Rob Cooper forces the hand of his former player Jeff Mercer by going with a left handed pinch hitter and Mercer indeed makes the change by bringing in lefty Ryan Kraft. Kraft gets out of the inning with a full count ground out.

Top 4th: Indiana 4, Penn State 0

Peter Serruto lead off the inning with a single, but is stranded in scoring position.

Bottom 3rd: Indiana 4, Penn State 0

Despite a single, Manase seems to be keeping the Nittany Lion batters off balance. He looked really sharp and Tibbitts made a great grab in foul territory to get the Hoosier bats back up quickly.

Top 3rd: Indiana 4, Penn State 0

Three quick contact outs send the Hoosiers back out to the field.

Bottom 2nd: Indiana 4, Penn State 0

Seti Manase goes 1-2-3 in the second inning.

Top 2nd: Indiana 4, Penn State 0

Penn State’s Daniel Ouderkirk has lost the strike zone. Phillip Glasser drives in a run. The bases get loaded on a walk. After a pitching change Brock Tibbitts hits a single up the middle to drive in two runs.

Bottom 1st: Indiana 1, Penn State 0

Seti Manase got into 3-0 counts with the first two batters. He battled back to get a strikeout on the first and walked the second. That walk was all that Penn State could muster.

Top 1st: Indiana 1, Penn State 0

Bobby Whalen saw nine pitches with one out, Devin Taylor walked, and Brock Tibbitts was hit by a 1-2 pitch to load the bases. Matthew Ellis hit a high liner to left to sacrifice in Whalen.

Starters

With a double header sweep need to claim the series in Happy Valley, a significant line-up shift is in place. Bobby Whalen who is playing close to home this weekend is moved to number two in the lineup behind the most consistent hitter, Phillip Glasser, and in front of the two hottest hitters in Devin Taylor and Brock Tibbitts. Peter Serruto is catching again, so one of the four key outfielders will not start, and again it is Carter Mathison who is not in the lineup, but that would make him available to pinch hit late in the game.

Seti Manase will start on the mound. Based on Coach Mercer’s comments this week and the past, expect about one time through the lineup before a switch to likely a long left handed reliever, possibly Ben Seiler.

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