Penn St @ IU, Game 3: IU takes the series with a 12-3 win...

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RHP Ty Rybarczyk is on the mound for IU with an ERA of 4.35 in 10.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.74 with an OBA of .326. There's been changes to the batting order from yesterday with Pyne moving up to the top of order at No. 2 and Oliver moved to the bottom of the order at No. 9. Wiggins has been moved up to No. 6 in the order as the DH with Brenczewski moving down one spot to No. 7.

RHP Frankie Sanchez is on the mound for PSU with an ERA of 3.72 in 19.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.29 with an OBA of .247.

It's sunny and 77 degrees with the wind WSW at 8 mph and gusts to 15 mph. Wind is currently blowing toward CF.

1st inning:

T1st:

Rybarczyk gave up a leadoff homer to RF on an 0-2 count. Rybarczyk then got a K for the first out of the game and followed that with a flyout for two outs. Another flyout retired the side.

B1st:

Mathison Kd swinging to lead off. Pyne took a called strike three for the 2nd out. A groundout ended the inning with IU going down in order.

End of 1st: PSU 1 IU 0

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

It was the 5 thru 7 batters up. The leadoff hitter reached on an error by Oliver at 2B. Rybarczyk then got back-to-back Ks for two outs and the runner still at 1st. A flyout retired the side with the error doing no harm.

B2nd:

It was the middle of the order up and Cerny was hit by a pitch to put a runner on.

Mitchell walked on four pitches to put runners on 1st and 2nd without a hit.

Wiggins walked on a full count to load the bases with Brenczewski up and no outs.

Brenczewski hit a GS to CF to give IU a 4-1 lead, their first early lead of the series.

Stadler and Oliver both Kd for two outs and the top of the order up.

Mathison clubbed a solo homer to RF to make it 5-1, and the ump warned Mathison over the bat flip.

Pyne got a two-out single with Taylor up. Taylor lined out to LF to end the inning.

End of 2nd: IU 5 PSU 1

 

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3rd inning:
T3rd:

It was the 9 thru 2 hitters up for PSU. Rybarczyk put them down in order to include two Ks.

B3rd:

It was the middle of the order up with Cerny leading off. IU went down in order.

End of 3rd: IU 5 PSU 1

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

Rybarczyk was back out there to face the 3 thru 5 hitters. Rybarczyk got the leadoff batter on a groundout.

Cecere, the B1G homer leader, hit a solo homer that just barely cleared the LF wall, and Cecere had hit a homer in all three games in the series.

A groundout got the 2nd out. A pop up to CF retired the side.

B4th:

It was the bottom of the order up with Brenczewski leading off.

Brenczewski hit a leadoff homer, his 2nd homer of the game, to make it 6-2.

Stadler flied out for the first out. Oliver got an infield single to put a runner on with one out and the top of the order up in Mathison.

Mathison walked on a 3-1 count to put runners at 1st and 2nd with one out and Pyne up.

Pyne pop fouled to the catcher for two outs. Taylor flied out to end the inning.

End of 4th: IU 6 PSU 2

 

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5th inning:

T5th:

I don't know, but I think I would have given Rybarczyk another inning, but Mercer went to the bullpen to bring in LHP Grant Holderfield who had really struggled this season and he had an ERA of 14.40 in 10.0 IP and a WHIP of 2.30. He faced the bottom of the order.

Holderfield got the leadoff hitter on a flyout to the warning track. Holderfield then hit a batter to put a runner on with one out.

A groundout moved the runner to 2nd with two outs and we were at the dangerous top of the order.

Holderfield then walked a batter on a full count to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs. Glant paid a visit to the mound.

A passed ball moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Holderfield then walked a batter on a full count to load the bases.

The move to a struggling Holderfield looked ill-advised, and IU went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Aiden Decker-Petty with an ERA of 10.12 in 10.2 IP in 2.06. He faced the hot hitting Marr who was hitting .417 and he got a groundout to get out of Holderfield's jam.

B5th:

It was the middle of the order up with Cerny leading off and PSU went to the bullpen to bring in LHP Matt Morash with an ERA of 6.52 in 19.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.81.

Cerny grounded out for the first out. Mitchell singled through the right side of the infield to put a runner on with one out.

Wiggins Kd for the 2nd out.

Mitchell stole 2nd and then scored a Brenczewski single. Brenczewski stole 2nd.

Stadler singled to score Brenczewski to make it 8-2 IU with two outs.

Oliver Kd to end a productive inning for IU.

End of 5th: IU 8 PSU 2

 

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6th inning:

T6th:

D-P was back out there to face the middle of the order and he got back-to-back Ks for two outs. He then got a flyout to put them down in order.

B6th:

It's the top of the order up with Mathison leading off, and PSU went to the bullpen again and brought in RHP Will Perkowski with an ERA of 11.37 in 12.2 IP and a WHIP of 2.13.

Mathison singled to lead off. Pyne walked on four pitches, and Taylor Kd for the first out with runners on 1st and 2nd.

Cerny flied out to the warning track with the runners holding at 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Mitchell singled to score Mathison to make it 9-2 and runners on the corners with two outs.

Wiggins singled to score Pyne with runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

PSU finally got Brenczewski on a ground out to end another productive inning.

End of 6th: IU 10 PSU 2

 

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7th inning:

T7th:

D-P was back out there to face the bottom of the order. IU can't get complacent with the way PSU can score runs in a hurry. Phillips was warming up in the bullpen.

D-P walked the leadoff hitter on a full count. A single on another full count put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

A K got the first out and the dangerous top of the order up with runners at 1st and 2nd.

D-P got back-to-back-to-back Ks to retire the side after putting the first two batter on.

B7th:

It was the 8 thru 1 hitters up for IU and PSU went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Mason Butash with an ERA of 5.79 in 23.1 IP and a WHIP of 1.63.

Stadler flied out to lead off. Oliver was called out on a close play at 1st and IU challenged the call. The umps upheld the call and there were two outs with the top of the order up in Mathison.

Mathison walked on four pitches to put a runner on with two outs.

Pyne reached on a slow rolling infield single to put runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Taylor was having a bad day at the plate and he Kd to end the inning.

End of 7th: IU 10 PSU 2

 

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8th inning:

T8th:

D-P was back out there to face the 3 thru 5 hitters and the leadoff hitter reached on an infield hit.

A groundout moved the runner to 2nd with one out and then a WP moved the runner to 3rd.

A single scored the runner a 3rd and a man on 1st and one out. A DP limited the damage to one run.

B8th:

It was the middle of the order up for IU and Cerny singled to lead off.

With Mitchell up, PSU went to the bullpen to bring in LHP James Lordi with an ERA of 5.62 in 8 IP and a WHIP of 1.63, in what was probably a lefty vs lefty move with Mitchell.

Mitchell popped out on the infield for the 1st out. Wiggins singled on a fly ball that was probably misplayed by the outfielder and it dropped between them.

Brenczewski singled to score Cerny and Brenczewski had 7 RBIs on the day in what was probably going to be his last at-bat in the game.

There were runners at 1st and 2nd and one out with Stadler up.

Stadler singled in another run and a DP ended the inning.

End of 8th: IU 12 PSU 3

 

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9th inning:

T9th:

D-P was back out there to close it out and he faced the bottom of the order. He got the leadoff hitter for the first out. He then walked a batter on a full count. A K got the 2nd out with the runner on 1st. The runner took 2nd on a defensive indifference and a groundout ended the game.

Final: IU 12 PSU 3

 

[TomEric4756]

Winning a split series puts IU tied for 5th in the Big 10 standings.

Like the winning away record.

 

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IU looked to be in a very dire situation when this series began after the blow-out loss in Friday's game and getting down 8-0 in the 2nd in the Saturday game, but the much-criticized bullpen played a key role in reversing that situation Saturday with some great pitching which continued today. It helped that the hitting came around after two straight bad games in the series final at Maryland and Friday's game with PSU. PSU has not won a series against IU since 2008 and today's win extended that streak.

IU outhit the Nittany Lions 16-5 and IU was 16-39 with a team average of .410, while PSU was 5 of 32 for a team average of .156. PSU had two more homers today with both being solo homers and they had 11 homers in the series with IU easily leading the B1G in homers given up. IU had six players with multiple hits and Brenczewski had a huge day at the plate.

Brenczewski - 4 for 5 with two homers including a GS and 7 RBIs.

Stadler - 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs.

Wiggins - 2 for 4 with 1 RBI.

Mathison - 2 for 3 with a solo homer and 1 RBI.

Mitchell - 2 for 4 with 1 RBI.

Pyne - 2 for 4 and he scored a run.

IU had one error which didn't do any damage, while PSU had no errors.

After the bullpen saved the day on Saturday, IU used three pitchers today and they were really good with the exception of Holderfield who struggled in the 0.2 inning he pitched after he loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and a hit batter with Decker-Petty coming in to end the inning with no damage done. Holderfield started the season with two good short stints on the mound and then things went really south for him from that point on until he entered one of the Butler games and got 3 Ks in 1.1 IP. After that Butler appearance, he showed control problems again today.

Rybarczyk - 4.0 IP, 2 hits with both solo homers and 2 earned runs, 5 Ks, and no BBs.

Holderfield - 0.2 IP, no hits or earned runs, no Ks, 2 BBs, and a hit batter.

Decker-Petty - 4.1 IP, 3 hits and 1 earned run, 6 Ks, 2 BBs, and a WP.