UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (May 7, 2005) - Ohio State scored three runs in the first inning, and six more in the fourth inning, to build a big lead on its way to defeating the Penn State baseball team 11-2 Saturday in the first game of a four game series at Beaver Field.

The Nittany Lions dropped to 24-18 overall, and 10-11 in the Big Ten, while the Buckeyes improved to 25-15 and 8-10, respectively, after winning their fifth straight game and seventh in their last eight.

The two squads will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday at Beaver Field. Both games can be heard live on State College's ESPN Radio WMAJ 1450 AM, and a link to listen will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.

Senior Michael Milliron (DuBois, Pa.) and freshman Scott Gaffney (Westbury, N.Y.) collected two hits each for Penn State, and freshman Mark Wojtowicz (Catawissa, Pa.) doubled in the ninth inning for his first career base hit, and later came around to score for his first career run. Milliron's two singles gave him 175 career hits, moving him into 10th place on Penn State's all-time hits list. He also scored a run to move him into ninth place on the all-time runs scored list with 128. Ohio State southpaw frustrated Penn State hitters all day long, giving up just two runs (one unearned) on eight hits, while striking out three and walking two in his first career complete game. The Buckeyes were 0-5 in Big Ten series openers heading into the game.

Junior Alan Stidfole (New Bloomfield, Pa.) struggled in getting the start for Penn State. He went just 3.2 innings, giving up nine runs, on five hits. He struck out seven, but he also walked seven, including two with the bases loaded.

Stidfole struck out Matt Angle to start the game. But then let the next four batters reach base to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. Adam Schneider and Ronnie Bourquin had back-to-back RBI singles in the inning. A second run came around to score on Schneider's single when sophomore Matt Lewis (Arnold, Md.) bobbled the ball in right field.

Stidfole again got a strikeout to start the fourth inning. He then walked Eric Fryar, and Angle sacrificed him over to second base for the second out. But the wheels fell off for the Nittany Lions as Stidfole walked the bases loaded, and then gave up an RBI single to Schneider walking Bourquin and Jason Zoeller to make it 6-0. Pitching coach Jason Bell lifted Stidfole for freshman Gary Amato (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) with the bases loaded, but Jedidiah Stephen delivered a bases-clearing double to make it 9-0 Ohio State. Paul Farinacci made it 10-0 with an RBI double in the sixth inning.

Penn State got on the board in the bottom half of the sixth inning after Milliron led off with a single. Junior Scott Gummo (Tyrone, Pa.) singled with one out, Lewis reached on an error to load the bases, and junior Aaron Greenfield (Villanova, Pa.) plated Milliron with a sacrifice fly. Ohio State tacked on one more run with an RBI single by Rabin in the ninth inning.

Wojtowicz doubled to left-center field, and came around to score on an RBI single by sophomore Jim Leitgeb (Elkton, Md.) in the bottom half of the ninth inning.

 Ohio State 11 Penn State 2 Ohio State 300 601 001 - 11 12 1 Penn State 000 001 001 - 2 8 1 Pitchers: OSU - Dan DeLucia; PSU - Alan Stidfole, Gary Amato (4),
 Matt Ogrodnik (7), Josh Palm (8), Paul Hawkins (9).
 WP: Dan DeLucia (3-4). LP: Alan Stidfole (5-4). Time: 2:20.