Columbus, Ohio ¨C Penn State fought hard until the very end but despite outhitting Ohio State 10-8 in the series opener on Friday night, fell to the Buckeyes 4-3. The Nittany Lions cut Ohio State¡¯s lead to one run three times but were unable to tie or go ahead. Despite the loss, Penn State remains just one game out of sixth place for the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament next weekend.

Alan Stidfole pitched well, throwing seven full innings and allowing four runs and eight hits while striking out five. He threw 139 pitches. Dan DeLucia was equally as impressive for Ohio State as he tossed seven and two-thirds innings, allowing all 10 Nittany Lions hits and the three runs while striking out five and walking three. He needed to throw 132 pitches and left with one out in the eighth and runners on the corners after allowing the third Penn State run of the night.

The Buckeyes struck first in the bottom of the second, putting together some two-out thunder to take the early lead. With two outs, Jason Zoeller was hit by a pitch and that was followed by a single to left center by Justin Miller, sending Zoeller to third. Michael Arp then singled up the middle to drive in Zoeller and Jacob Howell followed with another single to send home Miller to make it 2-0. Matt Angle then was jammed but managed to fist a bloop single into left. Arp was sent home but Lance Thompson¡¯s throw home was in time, cutting down Arp for the third out of the inning and his eighth outfield assist of the year.

Penn State got one run back to cut it to 2-1 in the third as Scott Gummo delivered a two-out single to drive in Travis Laird, who had led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. Rick Marlin then singled up the middle. After a strikeout and a fielder¡¯s choice left runners at the corners, Gummo was jammed but managed to fist a ball into short center field to score Laird.

Jedidiah Stephen gave Ohio State a 3-1 lead with a leadoff home run to left in the bottom of the fourth. Penn State would have scored another run in the top of the fifth, but Thompson¡¯s second triple of the year with two outs came after Marlin was picked off first base followed his second hit of the day, a leadoff single.

The Nittany Lions were able to cut into the lead in the sixth inning but had another runners erased on the base paths to end the inning. With one out, Jim Leitgeb lined a single to right and he scored on Cory Wine¡¯s double to deep center field to make it 3-2. Scott Gaffney then flied out to center field but Wine got caught too far off second base and was doubled off to end the inning.

Ohio State got the run right back in the bottom of the sixth as Stephen singled with one out, stole second, and scored on Zoeller¡¯s double to right center. The Nittany Lions came back in the top of the eighth, once again cutting the lead to one on a two-out hit. Thompson led off with a bloop single to right and Gummo followed with a walk. After two outs were made, Wine blooped another hit into short center field that was just out of the reach of a diving Stephen at short. Thompson scored and Gummo went to third. DeLucia was lifted after Wine¡¯s hit for closer Rory Meister, who came on to strike out Gaffney to end the inning with Penn State down 4-3.

Penn State put together a threat in the ninth inning but Meister was able to pitch his way out of it to preserve the 4-3 lead for the Buckeyes. Travis Laird drew a leadoff walk but Meister struck out the next two hitters while in between, Laird stole second. Meister then issued another walk to Thompson before getting Gummo to fly out to deep center field to end the game.

Meister struck out three and walked two in his 1.1 innings to get the save. On the positive side for Penn State, Gary Amato threw a perfect eighth inning in relief of Stidfole, preserving the one-run deficit going into the ninth for the Nittany Lions. Marlin, Thompson, and Wine had multiple hits for Penn State.

The Lions return to action tomorrow beginning at 1:35 with a doubleheader. Mark Wyner and Seth Whitehill are scheduled to take the hill for Penn State.

Notes: Thompson¡¯s outfield assist in the second was the 13th outfield assist for the Nittany Lions this year. Penn State had only four as a team all of last year¡­.Brian Ernst left the game in the bottom of the second when he was replaced by Marlin in right field. Ernst crashed into the wall after making a catch in the first inning but stayed in the game to finish the inning after receiving attention from the athletic training staff¡­. Thompson¡¯s fifth inning triple was his second of the year and first since February 26 vs. West Virginia¡­.Thompson now has 216 career hits and is just three shy of moving into third place on the all-time list¡­.Stidfole¡¯s start was his 10th quality start of the year, tops on the team¡­.As of 9:45 p.m. with one game still in progress in the Big Ten, Penn State is tied with Michigan State and Iowa for seventh place, one game behind Illinois, which lost on Friday, and two games behind Purdue, which defeated Northwestern.