Catcher Kevan Smith drove in three runs and scored one himself, but No. 24 Pitt still blew a late four-run lead against Penn State Tuesday.

Pitt (22-9, 6-3 Big East) led 8-4 at the seventh inning stretch, but the Nittany Lions (14-17, 2-4 Big Ten) notched five runs in the bottom of the inning and tacked on five more in the eighth for the 14-8 win.

“We played well through six and a half,” Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said. “I give credit to Penn State. They swung the bats great today.”

Corey Baker was saddled with his first loss of the season in one and one-third innings of relief for the Panthers, who drop to 22-9 overall. Baker surrendered three runs, one earned, on three hits. Penn State’s Jordan Steranka notched one of those hits, a double that drove in the game-tying run.

Cleanup hitter and catcher Ben Heath went 3 for 5, scored four times and had 3 RBIs for Penn State, and Mike Pierce earned the win in two-thirds scoreless innings of relief.

via Baseball: Pitt blows late lead against Penn State | The Pitt News.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Trailing 8-4, the Penn State baseball team responded with five runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth on its way to a thrilling 14-8 victory over No. 24 Pittsburgh on Tuesday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Lions (14-17, 2-4 Big Ten) ultimately took the lead off Panthers' ace starter Corey Baker, who entered in the seventh inning and was touched up for three runs in 1.1 innings. Junior catcher Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) once again spearheaded the Penn State offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with two solo home runs to extend his hitting streak to 18 games, tied for fourth longest in program history. The Nittany Lions now look ahead to a weekend series at Big Ten rival Purdue.

via Nittany Lions Plate 10 Unanswered Runs For Thrilling 14-8 Comeback Win Over No. 24 Pittsburgh – PENN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE.

Collegian Staff Writer

Despite hitting three home runs and having back-to-back five-run innings, the Penn State baseball team didn’t seal the victory until turning a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in the ninth.

In a slugfest that featured only one completely scoreless inning between the two teams, the Nittany Lions (14-17, 2-4 Big Ten) held off the No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers, 14-8, on Tuesday night.

via Late offensive burst keys win – The Daily Collegian Online.

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Collegian Staff Writer

When the Penn State baseball team takes the field at 6:05 tonight, things won’t look the same as they did when the Nittany Lions lost to Pittsburgh March 24.

Penn State’s 7-4 loss at Trees Field that day marked the team’s third-straight loss and 10th in its last 12 games at the time.

But since the loss, the Lions have gone 7-6 while moving a number of players around — including sending some position players to the mound.

Heath Johnson started in right field the last time these teams met, but he has started only three games in the outfield since, which is the same amount of games he has made a pitching appearance in.

via Different look for Penn State against Pitt – The Daily Collegian Online.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Despite jumping out to a 3-0 lead on Ben Heath’s (Huntersville, N.C.) seventh home run of the season, the Penn State baseball team couldn’t hold on as it dropped a 7-4 decision to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Heath and sophomore Joey DeBernardis (Lake Zurich, Ill.) combined for four of the Lions’  five hits while redshirt senior David Lutz (West Chester, Pa.) tossed 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Penn State now looks ahead to the home opener this weekend when it hosts Hofstra on Friday at 3:35 p.m.

via Pittsburgh Tops Nittany Lions in Keystone Battle, 7-4 – PENN STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE.

Lions drop 7-4 decision to Pitt.

via Penn State baseball falls short in Keystone Rivalry | NittanyWhiteOut.

Collegian Staff Writer

There’s a pattern developing that hints to whether the Penn State baseball team will win or lose.

It’s actually pretty simple, and coach Robbie Wine is aware of it — the team’s pitching needs to improve.

Wine said he’d like to see a progression in the team’s pitching, which will be needed when the Nittany Lions (6-10) begin a stretch of five games in five days at 3 p.m. today at Pittsburgh.

“Our starting pitching needs to get deeper in games and not put such a burden on our bullpen,” Wine said. “We have a couple guys in the bullpen that need to step up as well.”

via Pitchers work for more quality starts – The Daily Collegian Online.