Box Score Auburndale, Fla. - The Penn State Abington Nittany Lions continued their 2013 Spring Break trip on Tuesday afternoon, losing a heartbreaking eleven-inning game to Aurora University (Ill.). The Nittany Lions held a 5-2 lead entering the top of the ninth, but a pair of unearned runs helped the #21-ranked Spartans force extra innings, where they finally pulled out the win by a 6-5 margin.
 
After splitting a pair of games against Penn State Altoona the day before, the Nittany Lions came into the game with Aurora looking to get an early lead, and they managed to do so in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out in the inning, A.J. Vagliani got things started with a double down the left field line. Pat Moran came up next, and singled to short. Vagliani moved to third, and then scored when the shortstop made an error on Moran's single. Moran, meanwhile, moved all the way to third while these events took place. After a strikeout, Dustin Kology came through with a two-out RBI single to right field, scoring Moran and giving the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead after four innings.
 
Aurora (4-0, 0-0 NAC) came right back in the top of the fifth, cutting their deficit in half with an unearned run. However, Abington answered quickly, immediately getting that run back in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Bill Parave and Mike Kerns put Parave at third with nobody out, whereupon Dan Hill singled in Parave to give the Nittany Lions a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the boys in blue could've had more runs in the inning, but Kerns was thrown out trying to get to third on Hill's single, and Hill was later thrown out to end the inning at home plate.
 
Still, with Parave pitching solidly for the Nittany Lions, their lead seemed in no danger. The 6-1 senior was throwing darts almost the entire afternoon for Abington, scattering 10 hits over 8.1 innings pitched while striking out six and allowing just two earned runs. Regrettably, it was the unearned runs that would be the downfall of the Nittany Lions on the afternoon.
 
The Nittany Lions (2-6, 0-0 NEAC) extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the seventh, with Mike Kerns singling in Mark McCouch and Tom Ditro hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to score Parave. However, the #21-ranked team in the country was not going to roll over so easily, and the Spartans started their comeback the very next inning. Parave started the inning out well, getting a strikeout and a flyout on either side of a walk. Then, with two outs and a runner on first, back-to-back singles brought in the second run of the game for the Spartans, making the score 5-2.
 
Abington was not able to get anything going in their half of the eighth inning, sending the game into the pivotal top of the ninth. Aurora got the first three batters of the inning on base with a single, hit-by-pitch, and an error. Parave got the first out of the inning with a crucial strikeout, but then the wheels fell off. A single to short brought in one run, and in the same play another run scored off of an error by the Abington infield. With just a 5-4 lead now, the Nittany Lions brought in Robert Morak to try to close things out. However, the very next batter just about ended the game for the Spartans. Tanner Oymaian sent a single into right field, scoring the runner from third. Corey Landers tried to score from second to end the game, but a brilliant throw from right fielder A.J. Vagliani and a great tag by Kerns put Landers out. Kevin Faber came on and got the next batter to ground out to short and end the inning, but the damage had been done and the game was tied at 5-5.
 
Over the next couple of innings, neither team could get much going. In the bottom of the ninth, Abington got a runner to second base with just one out, but the next two batters struck out to end the Nittany Lions chances of ending the game in regulation time. In the tenth inning, each team got one baserunner, but could do nothing with it. Finally, in the top of the eleventh inning, Aurora broke through with what was ultimately the winning run. After scattering a single between two groundouts, two straight walks loaded the bases with two outs. Up came senior Michael Foley for the Spartans, and he drew a walk himself, forcing in the go-ahead run from third. Faber buckled down to strike out his next opponent with the bases loaded, but Abington went to the bottom of the eleventh facing a 6-5 deficit.
 
It certainly looked like things would end up going in Abington's favor with the great start they got to the inning, though. Mark McCouch laced a single into center field and advanced to second on a passed ball. The Nittany Lions now had three chances bring the tying run in from scoring position. Enter Spartans pitcher Luke Gilbertson, now in his third inning of relief work. Gilbertson managed to send the next three batters Abington sent to the plate right back to the dugout with three strikeouts, ending the game and preserving the 6-5 victory for Aurora.
 
The Nittany Lions get a day off today, but will be right back out on the diamond in Auburndale, Florida for a game tomorrow afternoon against St. Vincent College. Gametime is set for 2:00 pm, and you can get all your updates and live audio coverage (courtesy of St. Vincent) right here at abingtonsports.com.