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IU @ Penn St., Game 3: IU takes the series with a 22-11 win...

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RHP Luke Hayden is on the mound for IU with an ERA of 7.00 in 9 IP. Serruto is behind the plate and Mathison is the DH. They are calling this a staff game for the pitching staff, so who knows how long Hayden will be in there.

RHP Jordan Morales is on the mound for PSU with an ERA of 4.03 in 22.1 IP.

1st Inning:

T1st:

Glasser and Whalen both grounded out to start the game. Taylor K'd looking to retire the side.

B1st:

Hayden got the leadoff batter on a flyout. Hayden then walked the next hitter on four pitches. Another flyout resulted in the 2nd out with the runner still at 1st. Hayden then got a K to end the inning stranding the runner at 1st.

IU 0 PSU 0
 
2nd Inning:

T2nd:

Tibbitts leads off with a double. Pyne grounded out with Tibbitts holding at 2nd. Mathison then K'd looking for the 2nd out.

Cerny got a clutch RBI single to score Tibbitts. Cerny took 2nd on a passed ball, but Jessee flied out to retire the side.

B2nd:

It's the 5-7 hitters up for PSU. Hayden got the leadoff hitter but then gave up a double with one out.

A GO resulted in the 2nd out with the runner holding at 2nd. A lineout to 3B strands the runner at 2nd and ends the inning.

IU 1 PSU 0
 
3rd Inning:

T3rd:

It's the 9, 1 and 2 hitters up for IU and Serruto and Glasser both flied out. Whalen and Taylor both got two-out walks to put a runner in scoring position with Tibbitts up.

Tibbitts also walked to load the bases with two-outs.

Pyne singled up the middle to score Whalen and Taylor with runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs.

Mathison then got a RBI single to score another run with runners on 1st and 2nd and two outs.

Cerny K'd to retire the side, but IU got clutch hits in this inning and scored three runs after two outs.

B3rd:

It's the top of the order up for PSU and Hayden gave up a single and then a two-run homer to make it 4-2.

Mercer hooked Hayden and brought in RHP Gabe Levy with an ERA of 6.39 in 12.2 IP.

Levy gave up what looked like a wind-aided homer which just kept drifting to make it 4-3 and IU is still looking for the first out of the inning.

What probably should have been an error at 3B went as a single to put a runner on with no outs.

Another base hit put runners on the corners with no outs and PSU has started the inning with five straight hits to include two homers.

A RBI double ties the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs.

Levy was off to the showers with RHP Craig Yoho coming in with an ERA of 2.08 in 13 IP.

Yoho got a grounder for the first out with the runners holding. A walk then loaded the bases.

A single scored two runs to give PSU the lead at 6-4 with runners on the corners and one out.

Yoho then got a K for the 2nd out. Yoho then walked the bases full with two outs.

Yoho then got a grounder back to him to end a disastrous inning where IU pitching coughed up six runs.

There's still a long way to go, but IU can't do what they did in the first two games and that is not score after the 3rd inning.

PSU 6 IU 4
 
How many times is Mercer going to let Gabe Levy pitch in high leverage situations and fail till he stops using him? At some point Mercer has to stop with his stupid managing. This staff is deep enough now that he can throw guys who are decent. Go straight to Yoho and IU wins this game. I said yesterday which manager stupider. IU didn't lose both games so far because Cooper was to dumb to spread his two best starters over the first two game which gifted IU earlier today. Now in the rubber game Mercer is going to out dumb Cooper by throwing Leavy in yet another high leverage situation and watch him fail. Nice that both Wright State managers have managed to be not very good on either side since coming to their schools in a tough Big Ten.
 
Just to be clear I am not saying IU can’t win today but Mercer made it 10 times harder with a barn burner instead of an easy cruise if he goes straight to Yoho like a normal manager would. Does Mercer bet against his own team? Kidding of course but his decisions dont put IU in best position to win far to often.
 
4th Inning:

T4th:

Jessee walked to lead off. Serruto then singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd.

Glasser flied out advancing Jessee to 3rd and runners on the corners and one out.

Whalen then doubled scoring Jessee with Serruto taking 3rd.

Taylor then grounded out with Serruto scoring to tie the game at 6-6 with Whalen taking 3rd and two outs.

PSU went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Connor Throneberry with an ERA of 5.40 and he got a K to retire the side, stranding Whalen at 3rd.

B4th:

Yoho was back on the mound and he put them down in order to end the inning.

IU 6 PSU 6
 
5th Inning:

T5th:

Pyne singled to lead off and Mathison walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs.

Cerny then clubbed a 3-run homer to give IU the lead back at 9-6, and that is the first homer of the weekend by IU.

With no outs, PSU goes to the bullpen to bring in LHP Ryan Partridge with an ERA of 6.00 in 9 IP.

Jessee grounded out for the 1st out. Serruto K'd for the 2nd out and Glasser reached on an error by 3B to put a runner on with two outs.

Whalen then singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs.

Taylor then doubled to score two runs which were unearned because of the error.

Tibbitts grounded out to retire the side and IU just about canceled out that 6-run inning in the 4th by scoring 5 runs in the inning and they have scored 7 straight runs since that 4th inning debacle. IU is up 11-6.

B5th:

Yoho is back on the mound and he faced the 6-8 hitters and you have to feel good about the five-run lead with Yoho on the mound since he has brought some stability to it after the 4th inning debacle.

Yoho got the first two batters on ground outs. He then gave up a two-out single but K'd the next batter to end the inning.

IU 11 PSU 6
 
6th Inning:

T6th:

PSU went to the bullpen again and brought in RHP Tommy Molsky with an ERA of 5.93 in 13.2 IP.

Pyne reached on an infield hit.

Mathison flied out for the 1st out and Cerny was hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out.

Jessee singled and advanced to 2nd on an error with Pyne and Cerny both scoring with one of those runs unearned with the fielding error in RF.

Serruto lined out for the 2nd out and Glasser was hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs.

A deep fly by Whalen was caught at the fence to retire the side with IU up 13-6.

B6th:

IU went to the bullpen and brought in LHP Nathan Ball with an ERA of 7.71 in 2.1 IP and he faced the 2-4 hitters.

Ball got the first batter on a pop out to Cerny at 2B, but he then hit a batter to put a runner on with one out. Ball then got a DP ball to end the inning.

IU 13 PSU 6
 
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Again Mercer not throwing his best arms in critical spots. Get him and Glant out of there. They can't manage a pitching staff period.
 
7th Inning:

T7th:

Taylor led off with a solo homer to make it 14-6. Tibbitts and Pyne both K'd for two outs. Mathison lined out to retire the side with IU adding to their lead.

B7th:

After getting the first batter of the inning on a GO, Ball fell apart and I don't know why Mercer stayed with him as long as he did. With one out, Ball gave up the following:

A double
hit batter
flyout for two outs
double
single
WP
walk

Ethan Phillips replaced Ball at this point and he gave up a single and then moved the runner to 2nd on a WP which also scored a run and PSU has scored five runs in the inning after all of this mess and it's IU 14 PSU 11.

A batter reached on an error at 1B by Tibbitts.

A batter was hit to load the bases and Phillips is gone with Wes Burton now on the mound to try to get that third out. With the bases loaded, Burton went full on the hitter but then got him on a K swinging to end the inning with PSU scoring five runs on just four hits.

IU 14 PSU 11
 
8th Inning:

T8th:

IU goes down in order.

B8th:

It's the 6-8 hitters up for PSU and what looked like a game IU was coasting in, they are now just trying to get six more outs to survive.

Burton gave up a walk on four pitches to start the inning. Burton then moved the runner to 2nd on a WP and the Little League-like pitching for IU over the last couple innings continued.

Burton then got a K for the first out with a runner on 2nd.

A single put runners on the corners with one out.

Burton then went full on a hitter before getting a big K for the 2nd out.

Burton then got another K to end the inning with no damage done.

IU 14 PSU 11
 
Shocking. When Mercer goes back to a guy that has been decent (albeit in limited action) the outs starts coming. Levy and Ball have been terrible this year and shocker they gave up 9 of 11 runs. The other guys who have been solid are getting outs. Like I said IU may win this game in spite of Mercer but it could be 15-2 and long over. Instead we have to sweat out three more outs and a four run lead with Mercer insisting on throwing two awful pitchers in high leverage situations. I know Mercer is a hitting guy so if he is letting Glant manage it all it further proves my point that he made the worst hire ever and that is the first step that needs to be taken to get program back near the top.
 
9th Inning:

T9th:

Glasser hit a lead off homer to increase the lead to four runs.

Whalen walked and Taylor was hit by a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

Tibbitts singled to score Whalen.

Pyne singled to score Taylor.

Mathison singled to score Tibbitts.

With runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs, PSU goes to the bullpen again with the score now 18-11.

At least a grand slam can't beat us in the bottom of 9th when we get there and the way the last couple of innings have gone that was a possibility with the pitching staff getting battered.

Cerny was hit by a pitch for the second time in this game to load the bases with no outs.

While our concern was what IU's pitching staff was doing, PSU's pitching staff was also having a horrible day.

Serruto then singled and all three runners on base scored aided by a PSU error, and IU was up 21-11.

Glasser grounded out which moved Serruto to 3rd with two outs.

Whalen reached on another error by PSU which scored Serruto to make it 22-11.

Whalen advanced to 2nd on a passed ball with two outs.

Taylor walked and Taylor and Whalen advanced a base on a WP.

Tibbitts lined out to retire the side with IU scoring 8 runs in the inning.

B9th:

Burton was back out there to close it out and he got the leadoff batter with a K. A pop up and a flyout ended the game in a game that was approaching four hours.

IU 22 PSU 11 (Final)
 
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IU scored in every inning except for the 1st and 8th, while PSU got all of their 11 runs in two innings, scoring 6 runs in the 3rd that gave them their only lead of the game and another 5 runs in the 8th where is seemed like it took forever to get through that inning. It was a game of up and down pitching for IU, but fortunately after failing to score after the 3rd inning in the first two games of the series, IU's offense had no problem scoring runs after an eight-run lead was almost blown.

Seven of the nine hitters in the batting order that started the game had multiple hits and everyone had at least one hit that started the game. Here are the numbers on three of those players.

Taylor was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and a double and homer and he scored 3 runs.
Pyne was 4 for 6 with 3 RBIs and he scored 3 runs.
Cerny was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and he scored 3 runs and he had a homer.

Glasser also hit a homer, and Whalen and Tibbitts had a double.

PSU aided IU's effort with four errors while IU had one error which was their only error of the series.

Of the pitching, Yoho and Burton stood out with very good outings, and Burton came in and put out the fire in the disastrous 7th inning where it seemed like it took forever just to get that third out in the inning. Levy and Ball had horrific outings. Levy was charged with 4 earned runs without registering an out in relief of Hayden, and Ball was charged with 5 earned runs in the 7th which pulled PSU within three runs after trailing by eight runs. Levy and Ball were responsible for 9 of PSU's 11 earned runs. I think that with the 8-run lead going into the 7th, that Mercer gave Ball too much of a leash that almost blew up in his face before pulling Ball. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20. I'll let the box score do the talking on the pitching effort in this game.
 
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