Penn State Outlasts Duke 2-1

Wednesday, March 9

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

4:00 PM

Duke University

Penn State

Baseball Ready for Three Games in Myrtle Beach

Penn State Outlasts Duke 2-1

3/9/2016 7:23:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – Penn State scored two unearned runs in the fourth and held Duke scoreless over the final six innings to claim a 2-1 victory over the Blue Devils Wednesday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Penn State's Nick Hedge (1-1) tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in relief after the Nittany Lions took the lead to pick up the win, while Duke's Kellen Urbon (2-1) suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run.

Each team had three hits in the contest. Sophomore Ryan Day doubled for Duke (8-5) in the eighth while freshman Zack Kone and sophomore Peter Zyla had a base hit each.

“Credit Penn State,” said head coach Chris Pollard. “They did a really good job of competing out of their bullpen. We had some opportunities and we didn't capitalize on them.”

Both starting pitchers – Duke's Urbon and Penn State's Eli Nabholz -- got off to solid starts and neither team had a baserunner over the first two frames. Urbon stranded a pair in the top of the third before Duke scored the first run of the game in the bottom half. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, followed by a Max Miller sacrifice fly to right.

The Duke advantage was short-lived as Penn State (4-7) plated two to begin the fourth. A Blue Devil fielding error started the frame, followed by a Willie Burger base hit and Conlin Hughes bunt single to load the bases. Christian Helsel grounded out to second to score PSU's first run and Jordan Bowersox added a sac fly to left to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 edge they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Penn State's two unearned fourth-inning runs snapped Urbon's streak of 17.0 consecutive scoreless frames. Urbon scattered three hits over 4.0 innings in the loss, allowing the two unearned runs while walking one and striking out two.

“The two runs that they scored were self-inflicted,” Pollard said. “Had a chance to make a play, we didn't execute an 0-2 pitch, didn't communicate very well on a bunt and that led to the runs scoring. I thought we did a good job of putting up zeroes behind that.”

Three-straight walks loaded the bases for the Nittany Lions in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Mitch Stallings took the mound and worked out of the jam, inducing a 5-2-3 double play before getting Bowersox to ground to first to end the threat.

Stallings pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief, followed by two more shut out frames from Labosky.

“I was particularly pleased with Mitch Stallings, his second outing of the season,” Pollard added. “Threw the ball great and really picked up his teammates. I thought Jack Laboksy threw the ball well behind him.”

Duke loaded the bases in the eighth but was unable to push the tying run across. Penn State's Jack Anderson recorded the final four outs to register his third save of the season.

Duke opens ACC play this weekend, hosting No. 14 Virginia at the DBAP Friday-Sunday, March 11-13.

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