Asheboro, NC - Penn State scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-1 lead en route to a 10-4 win over the Pride, salvaging the final game of a three-game series at McCrary Park.
The Nittany Lions offense recorded 15 hits against eight Pride pitchers on the afternoon with Steve Snyder and Taylor Skerpon both collecting four-hit days. Snyder added two runs, an RBI and a stolen base, while Skerpon had an RBI and a steal.
Penn State got off to a fast start, scoring two runs on four hits in the bottom of the first. James Coates led off the inning with a double to right field. A bunt single by Snyder moved Coates to third and Greg Guers grounded into a double play to score Coates. J.J. White followed with a double and Skerpon recorded a single off Pride starter Alec Eisenberg to score the second run.
The Pride cut the deficit in half with a run in the top of the fourth as Kenny Jackson and Matt Ford put together back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, and Brian MacDonald followed with a groundout to plate Jackson.
The Nittany Lions answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth to open up a 7-1 lead. Penn State sent 10 batters to the plate, picking up five hits. The big blow was a two-run triple off the bat of Guers.
Hofstra scored twice more in the sixth as Jackson and Ford once again had back-to-back hits and MacDonald came through with a two-run double. After Penn State answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, Hofstra posted another run in the seventh as David Leiderman singled and went to third on a John Taurinsky double down the right field line. Mike Friel followed with an infeld single that scored Leiderman with Hofstra's fourth run and made it an 8-4 game.
Penn State tacked on two more runs in the eighth to account for the final score.
MacDonald finished with a double and three RBIs for the Pride, while Jackson and Ford both finished with two hits on the afternoon.
Penn State starter Patton Taylor allowed four runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win. Ryan Harper and Jack Andersdon combined on 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief to close out the game.
Eisenberg suffered his first loss of the season, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Hofstra will return to action this Friday in San Antonio, Texas, with a four-game series against the University of Incarnate Word.
