April 24, 2004
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – With large crowds in attendance due to the annual Blue-White spring football scrimmage, Penn State swept the doubleheader over the Hawkeyes at Beaver Field on Saturday. The Iowa bats were held at bay by its opposition as they collected only four hits in two games.
The Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions combined for only four hits in the opening game of the doubleheader. Three Iowa pitchers limited Penn State to only one hit, while Nittany Lion starter Sean Stidfole struck out ten batters and allowed one run on three hits in the complete game victory.
Penn State regained the lead in the fourth inning on its only hit of the game. Designated Aaron Greenfield connected on a 0-2 pitch off Iowa starter Chris Maliszewski for a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Nittany Lions the 2-1 lead.
Penn State scored its first run in the opening frame. Derrick Barr got hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Maliszewski. After a sacrifice bunt to move Barr to third, Scott Gummo hit an RBI groundout to give the Nittany Lions the early advantage.
The Hawkeyes tied the game up in the top of the second. Jeff Gremley led off the inning with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. After a strikeout, Luis Andrulonis hit a hard grounder to third base and Gremley was caught in a rundown. Gremley managed to stay in the pickle long enough to allow Andrulonis to advance to second base and into scoring position. L.J. Mims followed with a Texas leaguer just over second baseman Colin Runt’s head into shallow right field to knock in Andrulonis and tie the score at 1-1.
In the second game, the Nittany Lions took a 1-0 in the third inning. Barr reached on a two-base error by second baseman Andy Lytle to leadoff the inning. After a sacrifice bunt, Lance Thompson found a hole in the Iowa defense as the infield was in to drive in the first run. Penn State then loaded the bases off Iowa starter Austin Seward, but got the right hander out of the jam with an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.
Riding the momentum, the Hawkeyes evened the score at one in the top of the fourth. Jim Reid drew a one-out walk, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Penn State catcher Matt Harter. Iowa’s Kris Welker came through in the clutch, with a RBI two-out single to shallow right field to drive in Reid.
Penn State put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead. After a pair of walks, nine-hole hitter Jim Leitgeb doubled down the left field line to knock in both runners to make the score 3-1.
The Nittany Lions added an insurance run in the sixth. Brett Showalter hit a one-out double to right centerfield and scored on a bloop single by Barr to make the score 4-1.
Penn State starter Aaron Tressler pitched the second complete game of the day after limiting the Hawkeyes to one run on one hit, while striking out a career-high nine batters.
The two teams will play the series finale on Sunday morning at Beaver Field beginning at 10 a.m. (CST).