MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (May 27, 2004) - The Penn State baseball team fell just short of rallying from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning as Michigan State handed the Nittany Lions a crushing 8-7 defeat Thursday in an elimination game at the Big Ten Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Spartans scored four runs in the first inning and three in the seventh inning to end the Nittany Lions¡¯ season with a 28-29 record. The Spartans stay alive and will play No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan or No. 5 Purdue at 1:05 p.m. Friday, depending on how Thursday¡¯s late games play out.

The Spartans used two big innings to build a pair of four run leads, the latter coming on a three-run seventh inning to make it 8-4 Michigan State. Penn State scored one run on an RBI double by sophomore Colin Runt in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 8-5.

Two Michigan State errors put the Nittany Lions in position to tie or win the game in the ninth inning. Senior Matt Harter (Centre Hall, Pa.), who had three singles in the game, reached on an error by second baseman Oliver Wolcott with one out. Junior Clint Eury (Butler, Pa.), who also had three hits, doubled to put runners on second and third base. Freshman Matt Lewis (Arnold, Md.) reached first base on a throwing error that allowed Harter to score to make it 8-6 and then freshman Matt Cavagnaro (Brightwaters, N.Y.) walked to load the bases. Sophomore Derrick Barr (So. Williamsport, Pa.) made it a one run ballgame with a sacrifice fly. Runt came to the plate and quicly fell behind 0-2 in the pitch count. On a 1-2 pitch, Runt laced a line drive down the right field line that fell foul by inches. He worked a full count, but ended up fouling out to first base to end the game and Penn State¡¯s season.

Runt finished the game by tying a career high three hits, including two doubles and his first career home run. He also tied a career high with three RBI.

The Spartans jumped out and took control early with a four run first inning. Erik Morris and Wolcott singled to start the game and then were followed by a walk to Travis Gulick that loaded the bases. James Moreno was hit by a pitch to score the first run, Scott Koerber plated Wolcott when he grounded into a double play and Ryan Basham and David Miller had back-to-back RBI doubles.

The Nittany Lions responded with one run in their half of the first inning on a two-out RBI single by. Senior Brett Showalter (Waynesboro, Pa.) led off for Penn State by being hit by a pitch. He moved over to third base when Harter drilled a single off the wall in right field. Showalter scored on Eury¡¯s single back up the middle.

Sophomore Aaron Greenfield (Villanova, Pa.) walked on four pitches to start the second inning for the Nittany Lions. He came around to score when hit his first career homer over the left-center field wall to pull Penn State within one run at 4-3.

But Michigan State got one of those runs back on a two-out solo homer by Scott Koerber in the third inning to make it 5-3 Spartans.

Penn State had an opportunity for a big inning in the third, but had two runners thrown out at home plate by Gulick, the Michigan State rightfielder. Sophomore Scott Gummo (Tyrone, Pa.) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second base when Harter singled to left field. Eury came to the plate and hit a hard linedrive that ricocheted off Michigan State starting pitcher John Dwan. Dwan recovered to field the ball, but he threw it into right field. Eury advanced to second base, Gummo scored to make it 5-4 and Harter was thrown out at home plate trying to score from first base. Dwan immediately left the game with an unspecified injury and was relieved by Dan Noble. Greenfield then hit a two-out single through the right side that Gulick fielded and threw to home plate to nail Eury trying to score.

The Spartans tacked on three more runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Moreno and Koerber and a bases loaded walk by Basham to make it 8-4.

The Nittany Lions had a rally going in the eighth inning when Greenfield drew his second walk of the ballgame and sophomore Derrick Barr (So. Williamsport, Pa.) singled to put runners on first and second base with one out. Freshman Matt Cavagnaro (Brightwaters, N.Y.) pinch ran for Greenfield and came around to score on an RBI double by Runt to make it 8-5. But Michigan State closer Adam White got the final two outs of the inning to get out of the threat.

Noble got the win by giving up just one run on five hits in 5.0 innings of relief. He also struck out three. White picked up his sixth save in 1.2 innings of work.

Michigan State 401 000 300 8 10 3
Penn State 121 000 012 7 11 1

Pitchers:
Michigan State Dwan; Noble (3); White (8).
Penn State Tressler; Clark (7); Hopewell (8); Eury (9).
Win: Noble (2-0).
Loss: Tressler (4-4).
Save: White (6).

Time: 2:48.