May 9, 2003

Box Score

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State freshman right-hander Sean Stidfole kept Illinois off balance all day as he struck out a career high nine batters, while scattering five hits through eight innings of work to lead Penn State to a 4-1 victory over Illinois Friday afternoon in State College, Pa.

Stidfole improved his record to 3-0 on the year for Penn State (21-23 overall, 13-12 Big Ten), while senior Ted Rowe fell to 3-6 for Illinois (24-22 overall, 9-15 Big Ten) despite throwing eight solid innings that saw him strike out five and allow just seven hits.

Despite holding the Illini scoreless and to just four hits through the first-eight innings, Illinois was able touch up the freshman in the ninth. A walk by senior Andy Schutzenhofer led off the inning and Chad Frk's third single of the game put runners on first and second with no one out. An error by the second baseman allowed senior Brandon Cashman to reach base, which loaded the bases for Dusty Bensko, the game's tying run.

Penn State countered with senior reliever Clint Eury, who ran the count full to Bensko, but was able to induce a key double play to put a stop to the Illinois threat. Schutzenhofer scored on the play, but Joe Parenti's fly to center on the next at bat ended the game.

Penn State jumped on the board early scoring runs in both the first and second innings. The Illini were fortunate to escape the first by allowing just the one run as the Nittany Lions loaded the bases after the first-three hitters. A leadoff single by Derrick Barr, a walk to left fielder Wes Reohr and a throwing error by second baseman T.F. Meagher loaded the bases for cleanup hitter Lance Thompson. The Illini traded a run for an out on a slow roller to second by Thompson giving Penn State runners at first and third with one out. Starting pitcher Ted Rowe worked his way out of the jam against the next batter, getting second baseman Mike DeRenzo to roll into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Penn State added another run in the second, when Clint Eury scored on a two-out single by Zack Smithlin. Eury reached base with a one-out single to left and advanced to second on a balk by Rowe. A strikeout by shortstop Willie Melendez led to Smithlin's RBI single.

Penn State made the lead 3-0 in the fourth on a double by Eury. Eury's hit ricocheted off the first-base bag into right field scoring DeRenzo. Penn State later had runners on second and third with two outs, but Rowe induced another groundball out to get the Illini out of the inning.

An insurance run in the seventh gave Penn State a 4-0 lead before the Illini mounted their threat in the top of the ninth.

"I thought it was just a well played college baseball game," head coach Itch Jones said. "Their guy threw a lot of great breaking pitches and he did it when he was down in the count. I thought Ted Rowe pitched a heck of a game, but we just didn't get the timely hits that they did."

Illinois will return to action on Saturday with a double-header vs. the Nittany Lions. Game time for Saturday has been pushed up to 1 p.m. EDT due to the threat of rain later in the afternoon.

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