PSU^Spsrte
Glee
By 808 MASHCHMiYER
PSH Baseball Coach
RZMIO@PSU.EDU
In the final game of the 2006
PSUAC Fall Classic, Penn State
Harrisburg (8-1 in PSUAC, 9-5
overall) ended its 3 game losing
streak with a win against PSUAC
South Division foe, Penn State
Abington (3-6 in PSUAC, 3-9
overall). Penn State Harrisburg
has won all 4 games against PS
Abington this year.
After 2 scoreless innings, PSH
seemed to take control of its final
fall game by scoring 6 runs in the
third. With one out, Garret Piper
(Carlisle/Big Spring) walked and
would move to third base on a hit
& run single to right off the bat of
Sean Frailey
(Middletown/Middletown).
With Frailey on the move,
Kris Aumiller (Mechanicsburg/
Cumberland Valley) singled through
the hole at short to score Piper and
move Frailey to third. Aumiller
went to 2nd on the throw to 3rd
base. Matt Carroll (Lemoyne/HUN
School of Princeton) would drop
a single into left center scoring
Frailey. Carroll would move up to
2nd when the throw went home to
stop Jeremy Witner (Weatherly/
Weatherly), who was running for
Aumiller, from scoring.
After an intentional walk to Kevin
Kreider (Lebanon/Cedar Crest)
would load the bases, Kyle Mongold
(Halifax/Halifax) was hit by a pitch
to score Witner. Kevin Bowman
(Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) then
followed with a 2 run double to the
fence in left field. Mongold would
later score when PS Abington tried
to pick off Bowman at 2nd base.
Up 6-0 going into the bottom of the
3rd, first time PSH starter Andrew
Haden (Manheim Township/
Manheim Township) was on cruise
control only allowing an unearned
PS Abington run in the 3rd inning.
In the sth, sloppy defense coupled
with a tiring Haden, allowed PS
Abington to tie the game at 6-6.
After allowing a lead off single in
the sth, Haden would walk 3 of
the next four batters before giving
way to reliever Matt Berfield
(Summerville/Brookville). Although
Berfield allowed a single to the first
batter he faced, he did the job by
getting a pop-up out and a double
play ground ball.
The PSH Lions would take the lead
back in the to top of the 6th inning.
Sean Frailey walked and moved to
2nd base on a sac bunt from Kris
Aumiller. After an intentional walk
to Matt Carroll, Kevin Kreider
would work a base on balls to load
the bases. Kyle Mongold drew his
3rd walk of the day, scoring Frailey.
Heading into the bottom of the 7th
with a 7-6 lead, Adam Wright - the
3rd PSH pitcher of the day - would
walk the lead off batter and give up
the tying run on a double to right
center. PS Abington had a chance to
win the game with a single to right
field, only to have the runner from
2nd base thrown out at home plate
when Mongold one-hopped a strike
to Aumiller.
In extra innings, PSH would win
it in the Bth by scoring 3 runs. Sean
Frailey doubled to open the Bth and
would move to 3rd base when Kris
Aumiller struck out. Aumiller was
safe at first when the catcher could
not find the ball in the dirt.
Jeremy Witner stole second
and Matt Carroll drew his 2nd
intentional pass. 2 outs later, bases
still loaded in a tie game, the PS
Abington error on Kevin Bowman’s
ground ball allowed Frailey and
Witner to score. Austin Kulp
(Newville/Big Spring) followed
with a single to right center to
score Carroll.
Garret Piper worked a scoreless
Bth inning, earning the save. Adam
Wright picked up the win - his 3rd -
working 2 innings of relief, allowing
1 earned run on 2 hits, walked 2
and struck out 4. Berfield worked
1 inning, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits.
Haden went 4+ innings, allowing 3
earned runs on 3 hits, walked 3 and
struck out 1.
Lions unable to claim revenge against Michigan
Penn State goes to third string quaterback as the Michigan defense tears through the offensive line
By MATTHEW SARVER
Sports Reporter
MDSSOII@PSU.EDU
On Oct. 14, a dedicated and cold
110,000+ people, stood faithfully
as they rooted for their Penn State
Nittany Lions against the #5 ranked
team, Michigan Wolverines. This
game was a battle between two of
the best defenses in the Big Ten.
However, on this night the Michigan
Defense proved why they are not only
a top defense in the Big Ten but in
the nation. The Wolverines allowed
only 33 rushing yards for Tony Hunt.
This was the first game that Tony
Hunt had not seen the century mark
since facing Notre Dame earlier in
the season. To go along with their
smothering run defense, Michigan
sacked the Penn State quarterbacks
seven different times. Happy Valley
wasn’t very cheerful by the end of
the night.
After the opening kickoff sailed
through the cool air of State College,
freshman return man A.J. Wallace
gathered the kick and returned it
all the way to the Michigan 45 yard
line. This was the way everyone in
Beaver Stadium and fans watching
wanted the Lions to start this
game. After a few run attempts, our
questionable quarterback Anthony
Morelli completed an 11 yard pass
to his favorite target, Deon Butler,
for a first down. Following three
plays totaling five yards, sophomore
kicker Kevin Kelly came onto the
field to attempt a 46 yard field goal.
Like he had done too many times
during this season, he pushed the ball
wide left, stopping what looked to be
a promising time to get some points.
That missed field goal really seemed
to be the turning point in the game.
Yes, it may seem ridiculous, and
yes, it was only the first drive, but
what a momentum breaker. After
being so fired up for days about this
Cardinals
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
Associated Press
The first long drive to left field
wound up in the webbing of Endy
Chavez’s glove as he crashed against
the wall.
The second one sailed clear over
his head.
And that is what sent Yadier Molina
and the St. Louis Cardinals to the
World Series.
Molina’s tiebreaking homer in the
ninth inning and another Game 7
gem by Jeff Suppan helped St. Louis
overcome Chavez’s astounding
grab, giving the Cardinals a 3-1
victory over the New York Mets
on a rainy Thursday night for the
NL championship.
“I think this is the best team, and
we proved it,” Molina said.
Adam Wainwright wriggled out of
a bases-loaded jam in the bottom
of the ninth, striking out St. Louis
nemesis Carlos Beltran to end it
and leaving a stunned crowd in
deflated silence just moments after
it had Shea Stadium shaking.
With that, the Cardinals earned
their second pennant in three years
and a date with the Detroit Tigers . . . . ,
c t The cardinals celebrate on the field or
on Saturday night in Game lor the rl Cl fi , c .. . .. x
„ r , , / ° Shea Stadium arter defeating the Mets
World Series.
Hey Motown, here come
the Cards.
“I’m just so happy for Yadier. What
a big hit for us,” slugger Albert
Pujols said.
A .216 hitter with only six home
runs during the regular season,
Molina drove the first pitch he saw
from reliever Aaron Heilman into
New York’s bullpen for a 3-1 lead in
the ninth.
“I just left it up,” Heilman said. “I
was just trying to throw it down and
away. Instead it stayed right over the
middle of the plate.”
Chavez, who made one of the most
memorable catches in postseason
history just three innings earlier,
could only stand and watch at
the fence as the Mets’ title hopes
were dashed.
“Everybody said I don’t hit, and I
game, to go out and start the game
with a promising drive only to have
another missed opportunity, really
put the Lions down early. Luckily
for the blue and white, their defense
showed up, at least for most of the
game.
The first quarter was an offensive
struggle for both sides, and late in
the quarter another stupid call really
put a damper on the Lions. Morelli
completed an 8 yard completion to
wide out Jordan
Norwood on third
and nine. This
left PSU with a
fourth and one on
their twenty six
yard line. With
the entire stadium
chanting
GO, GO”, what
does Joe Patemo
elect to do? Punt
the ball. This
proving, that he
has no confidence
with this young
offense, and
Michigan made
him pay. On there opening drive of
the second quarter (after the punt),
Michigan marched down the field on
the Nittany Lions defense. On third
and ten from the Penn State twenty
five, Michigan quarter back and Penn
State traitor Chad Henne connected
with junior Adrian Arrington for
a touchdown. Following another
Penn State three-and-out, Henne
led the Michigan offense down the
field again. This time it led to a 23-
three yard field goal from kicker
Garret Rivas. Finally with 3:17 left
in the half, Penn State’s offense
showed some life and let the defense
actually rest. Three big third down
completions by the Lions, including
a 31 yard screen pass to Tony Hunt
taking Penn State down to the
Michigan 20. Unfortunately, Penn
go to World Series, beating Mets 3-1
proved them wrong,” said Molina, a
standout defensive catcher.
Scott Rolen, robbed of a homer by
Chavez in the sixth, started the St.
Louis rally with a single.
But the Mets, resilient throughout
their stirring season, nearly came
back in the ninth.
Jose Valentin and Chavez singled
before pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd struck
out looking. Jose Reyes lined to
center for the second out, and Paul
Lo Duca drew a walk that loaded
the bases.
That brought up Beltran, who
homered three times in the series
after hitting .417 with four home
runs for Houston in the 2004 NLCS
against St. Louis
Wainwright, a rookie filling in for
injured closer Jason Isringhausen,
got ahead in the count immediately
and froze Beltran with a curveball
for strike three.
“I can’t let my team down right
there,” said Wainwright, who has
three saves in the postseason. “Our
team deserves it. We battled so hard
in the playoffs.”
The Cardinals, with their 17th
pennant in hand, charged out of the
dugout and mobbed Wainwright in
front of the mound.
During the champagne celebration
in their clubhouse, players gathered
around several times and chanted
“Jo-se, Jose, Jose, Jose,” mocking
the popular chant Mets fans crow
when Reyes comes to the plate.
St. Louis stumbled down the stretch
State would not be able to punch it
in. Following three straight plays
from the Michigan six, Kevin Kelly
connected on a 22 yard field goal to
make the score 10-3 going into the
locker rooms.
The second half was when the
dizziness really kicked in for
the Nittany Lions. After another
dominating stop by the Penn
State defense, led by linebackers
Dan Conner and Paul Posluszny,
Donnie Johnson of Penn State makes a
huge hi on the Michigan punt returner.
the Wolverines had to punt. Three
plays later, the entire Beaver
Stadium went silent. On a third and
nineteen, Morelli threw a completion
and won the NL Central with only
83 wins. Many observers gave them
little chance against the Mets, who
tied the crosstown Yankees for the
best regular-season record in baseball
at 97-65.
“I don’t think anyone expected,
especially late in the season, that the
St. Louis Cardinals would be in the
World Series,” Rolen said.
Suppan, who beat Roger Clemens
in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS, took
home the MVP award this time for
two outstanding starts. He limited
the Mets to one- run and five hits in
15 innings, and once again was at his
best in a big game.
Suppan, who won Game 3, is 106-
101 lifetime, but 2-1 with a 1.69
ERA in five NLCS starts. He pitched
into the eighth inning Thursday and
allowed only two hits, none after t
he first.
“We never gave up. We always
believed in ourselves,” Suppan said.
The Cardinals, seeking their first
World Series title since 1982, ended
a long postseason streak by winning
Game 7 on the road after dropping
Game 6.
The previous 11 home teams that
won Game 6 of an LCS or World
Series to stave off elimination also
won Game 7. The last road team
to win a seventh game after losing
Game 6 was Cincinnati’s Big Red
Machine at Boston in the 1975
World Series.
Randy Flores worked a scoreless
eighth for the win as the Cardinals’
young bullpen came through again.
Oliver Perez, an unlikely starter for
the injury-depleted Mets, matched
Suppan most of the night, yielding
only one run through six innings.
But New York’s normally
relentless lineup couldn’t muster
enough offense.
“It’s really disappointing. It was a
great game,” Mets manager Willie
Randolph said. “We just didn’t get
any big hits.”
With a runner on in the sixth, Rolen
pulled Perez’s first pitch deep to
left and Chavez, a defensive whiz
to Derrick Williams for a twenty
four yard reception. Unfortunately
after making that throw, Michigan
lineman Alan Branch drilled Morelli
with what appeared to be a helmet
to-helmet hit straight to the ground.
)to courtesy
Joe Paterno yells at the ref about a call
during the game against Michigan
(Top), and the Nittany Lion defense
stacks up for another play (Left).
Morelli ended up leaving the
game with a concussion and
never saw the field again.
Backup freshman quarterback
Daryll Clark now had the
opportunity to lead the Lions
to a major victory. Although,
his appearance did not last
longer than the Yankees did in
this year’s post season.
Late in the third quarter,
Chad Henne marched down
the field on the very exhausted
Nittany Lions defense. After
completing a number of
passes, the Wolverines had a
first down on the Penn State
twenty. Junior running back Mike
Hart rushed for a twenty yard
run down the one yard line. On the
next play, Hart punched it in for the
touchdown, giving the Wolverines
a comfortable 17-3 lead going into
starting because Floyd has an injured
Achilles’ tendon, raced back to the
fence as fast as he could.
In one motion, the 6-foot Chavez
jumped with all his might and
reached his right arm up and over the
8-foot wall as far as it would stretch.
His mouth wide open, he snagged
the drive in the tip-top of his glove,
the white of the ball showing atop
the webbing like a scoop of vanilla
ice cream
Chavez banged into the padded blue
wall, buckling a couple of panels, but
landed on his feet and came up firing
back into the infield.
Jim Edmonds, who had walked,
had already rounded second, so
second baseman Valentin relayed to
first for a spectacular double play
that ended the inning with Pujols and
the bewildered Cardinals watching
from the top step of the dugout
Cardinals' Molina rounds third base
after hitting a home run in the bottom
in amazement
“I had to check because my glove
almost went out of my hand. I didn’t
know if 1 kept it inside,” Chavez said.
“I jumped as high as I can. Like a 10
percent chance in my mind 1 could
catch it. I had to improvise myself
and do it on the run. See the ball, see
the wall and do the thing that I’ve got
to do.”
Fans chanted “En-dy Cha-vez!”
the fourth quarter. Hart finished the
game with 112 yards rushing and one
touchdown.
Entering the fourth quarter, there
seemed to be no hope for Penn
State to get back into this game.
That statement really held true
when quarterback Daryll Clark
was knocked out after a five yard
scramble with nine minutes left in
the game. Wondering who would
play quarterback now for the Nittany
Lions, fans soon saw Paul Cianciolo,
sophomore from Charleston, S.C.
The third string quarterback finally
brought some life back into Beaver
Stadium late in the fourth quarter.
With three minutes left on third and
one, Cianciolo completed a screen
pass to Tony Hunt, and he was off
to the races for a forty-four yard
touchdown pass. However, that would
be the end to the attempted comeback
for the Nittany Lions. The Wolverines
defense shut down the final attempt
for the Lions and secured the 17-10
victory for themselves.
Overall, the Penn State defense
did an outstanding job for being on
the field for over half of the game.
There are still a few problems in the
secondary that need to be worked out,
but they played their hearts out. The
Penn State offense on the other hand
needs to have a wake up call, and
hopefully, this was it. The offensive
line was horrible. The Michigan front
four just dominated the entire game.
Hopefully, for the sake of Morelli and
Hunt, the line gets a lot better for the
rest of the season.
gopsusports.com
The next game is against Illinois on
Oct. 21, which is also Homecoming
for Penn State. This game will be a
very tough battle if Penn State is not
prepared. Illinois is a different team
from last year and even though Penn
State did win 63-10, don’t count on
the same results this time around.
Prediction: Penn State 35- Illinois 17
in a closer game than it looks.
and roared “Whooaaa!” over and
over again as the replay was shown
several times on the big video board
in left-center.
Chavez watched, too, and finally
came out for a curtain call _ a rarity
for a defensive play.
Perhaps still thinking about his near
miss but more likely bothered by a
slick ball, Rolen, a Gold Glove third
baseman, threw away David Wright’s
slow grounder for a potentially costly
error in the bottom of the sixth.
That helped the Mets load the bases
with one out, but Suppan struck
out Valentin,
The light-hitting Chavez then had a
chance to deliver with his bat, but he
flied out, leaving him 0-for-12 with
runners in scoring position during
the series.
“A little tumultuous inning there for
No. 27,” Rolen said.
Perez, often leaping over the
foul line on his way to the dugout,
pitched the game of his life on only
three days’ rest.
This from a guy who was demoted
to the minors by lowly Pittsburgh
in June and finished 3-13 with a
6.55 ERA this season. In fact, he
was barely an afterthought when
the Mets acquired him with reliever
Roberto Hernandez at the July 31
trade deadline.
Perez, however, won Game 4 in
St. Louis and gave the Mets all they
could have hoped for Thursday.
“We went down fighting,” said
injured Mets ace Pedro Martinez,
sidelined for the entire postseason.
“That’s all you can ask for. We went
through a lot of troubles. I’m really
proud of everybody. I guarantee next
year, if we are healthy, we are going
to be in the World Series.”
New York took the lead in the first
when Wright blooped an RBI single.
But the Cardinals responded to New
York runs throughout the series, and
they did it again in the second.
Molina dunked a soft single into
short left, putting runners at the
comers and setting up Ronnie
Belliard’s run-scoring sacrifice bunt.