UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Apr. 23, 2004) - Nathan Johnson threw 134 pitches in a complete game and the Penn State pitchers didn't have an answer for Nate Yoho and Kris Welker as Iowa handed the Nittany Lions their third straight defeat, 6-3, in Game 1 of a four-game series Friday at Beaver Field.

Johnson's offense gave him a 4-0 lead after four innings and he kept the Penn State hitters off-balance by mixing his fastball, curve and a change-up.

Yoho, who had three doubles, and Welker had four hits each.

Penn State, which has now lost its last four Friday Big Ten openers, drops to 18-17 overall and 7-6 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes improve to 11-23, 4-9. The two squads will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday in the shadow of Beaver Stadium, where the Penn State football team will kick off its annual Blue-White football game at 1:30 p.m.

Jesse Brownell hit a sacrifice fly to plate Yoho and Luis Andrulonis walked with the bases loaded to score Welker to give Iowa a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Both runs were unearned as Penn State starter Jim Farrell (Harleysville, Pa.) was charged with an error when his throw on Jeff Gremley's sacrifie bunt pulled first baseman Clint Eury (Butler, Pa.) off the bag. Brownell's sacrifice fly would have been the third out of the inning.

Yoho delivered an RBI double and Welker hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 in the fourth inning.

But sophomore Derrick Barr (So. Williamsport, Pa.) gave the Nittany Lions a spark with a two-out, two-run double over Yoho's head in right field. Barr plated freshman Matt Lewis (Arnold, Md.) and senior Brett Showalter (Waynesboro, Pa.). Both Lewis and Showalter had singled.

Iowa added two more runs in the eighth inning on an RBI double by Yoho and an RBI single by Welker to make it 6-2.

Sophomore Lance Thompson (Brisbin, Pa.) tripled with one out in the ninth inning to try and get a rally going for Penn State. He eventually scored on an error by shortstop Gremley.

The Nittany Lions stranded 10 runners in the game. They left the bases loaded in the second inning and left at least one runner on base in the final six innings.

Thompson and Showalter had two hits each and Barr reached base three times with a double and two walks. Sophomore Scott Gummo (Tyrone, Pa.) extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the seventh inning.

For more information on Penn State baseball, please visit our official athletic website at www.GoPSUsports.com.

  123 456 789 R H E Iowa 002 200 020 - 6 14 1 Penn State 000 200 001 - 3 9 1 Pitchers: Iowa - Johnson. Penn State - Farrell; Gelletly (6); Markowitz (8). Win: Johnson (4-2). Loss: Farrell (2-7). Time: 2:33. Attendance: 449.