UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Jackson Cramer hit a two-run homer but West Virginia stranded 12 runners and couldn’t generate anything against Penn State’s bullpen in a 5-4 loss Tuesday night.
The fourth straight loss for the Mountaineers (10-8) followed a weekend sweep at TCU and left coach Randy Mazey disappointed.
“We came here and just played bad baseball today, and it’s the first time we’ve done that this year,” he said. “I thought we had a chance tonight to recover from last weekend, but we just couldn’t find a way to get it done.”
The Nittany Lions (8-10) left 11 runners on base but used a leadoff triple by Jim Haley in the seventh and a sac fly by Greg Guers to score the go-ahead against Conner Dotson (3-1), who was in his third inning of relief.
Penn State built a 2-0 lead in the second against WVU freshman Tanner Campbell thanks to Conlin Hughes’ RBI bloop single and Cramer’s throwing error that led to the follow-up run.
“(Campbell) had a good changeup, he had a really good changeup,” said Penn State coach Rob Cooper. “Our guys did a good job of, we call it ‘turning the field’ … so that we’re not spinning off balls, pulling off balls. Our guys did a good job adjusting and forcing him to pitch a little bit differently, which I think makes a pitcher uncomfortable.”
A Kyle Davis pop-up that fell for an RBI fielder’s choice cut the lead in half in the third inning before Cramer’s third homer of the season pushed West Virginia ahead 3-2.
Campbell couldn’t hold the lead, as Penn State struck for two runs in fourth with the help of two doubles and a wild pitch. The right-hander exited after four innings and 77 pitches, having allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
WVU tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth when KC Huth singled and scored on Darius Hill’s triple, the freshman’s team-leading 23rd RBI of the year. That ended the day for Penn State’s Nick Hedge, who allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out two in 4 2/3 innings.
Dotson pitched a perfect fifth inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth before Penn State broke the deadlock in the seventh.
Dakota Forsyth (1-1) pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless middle relief for Penn State before Jack Anderson earned his fifth save by going the final two innings. Anderson worked out of a second-and-third jam in the eighth before enjoying an easy ninth.
Davis wound up 0-for-4 to end a 15-game hitting streak.
Big 12 conference play continues Friday when West Virginia travels to Kansas for a three-game series.