April 11, 1998

Wildcat Baseball Splits at Penn State

'Cats Up 2-1 in the series

Box Score

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- John Seaman picked up his second-straight win in relief in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, leading NU to a split on Saturday, winning game one in eight innings, 5-4, and falling 8-5 in game two. NU now leads the series 2-1 entering Sunday's finale. The 'Cats record on the year stands at 16-13, 4-7 Big Ten. PSU is now 16-16, 6-5 Big Ten.

In game one, the 'Cats took a 1-0 lead in the first inningon an RBI single by Mike Stritch, bringing home Jeremy Kurella with the first run of the game. PSU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter Kevin Billotte homered to center field off Wildcat hurler Phil Rosengren.

The game was tied 2-2 after seven innings. In the extra frame, J.P. Williamson delivered a one-out single to center, driving home Stritch with the winning run. Seaman, who entered in the bottom of the sixth inning, got the win to improve to 8-1 on the year. Stritch and Williamson each went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the contest. Rosengren had his best performance of the year, going the first 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while fanning six batters.

In the second game, Penn State jumped on the board early as the first four batters scored off starter Chris Hargan, the big blow coming on a three-run homer by cleanup hitter Dan Beers. NU answered in the top of the second on an RBI single by Joe Hietpas, driving home Stritch to make the score 4-1. Hargan (2-4) went the distance, allowing nine hits and eight runs in six innings. He fanned a career-best nine batters and did not walk a batter. Offensively, Stritch again led the charge, going 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and two runs scored. He is 10-for-13 (.769) with seven runs, four RBIs and two doubles in the series.

The two teams close out the weekend series with a noon CDT game on Sunday.