COLLEGE BASEBALL Penn State advances in Big Ten Tourney

Nittany Lions to face Michigan today at noon.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indiana Hoosiers booted the ball away -- and with it their season.
Penn State took advantage of four Indiana errors, including two in a four-run seventh inning, and beat the sixth-seeded Hoosiers 8-4 to knock them out of the Big Ten baseball tournament Friday evening at Siebert Field.
Fourth-seeded Penn State, which lost to Minnesota 4-3 earlier in the day, will face Michigan at noon on Saturday in the double-elimination tourney.
"We lose the first game of the day in the bottom of the ninth, the worst way you can lose," said Penn State coach Joe Hindelang. "Then we have to turn around, eat a turkey sub and 30 minutes later we're playing again. We're still alive."
The Nittany Lions (28-27) initially broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, getting three hits, two walks, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead off Hoosiers starter Jacob Cary.
Hoosiers rebound
It didn't last, however, as the Hoosiers (34-22) came right back with three of their own in the top of the seventh after batting around against Clayton Hamilton, getting an RBI double from Seth Bynum, a sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Nick Evans to knot the score at 4.
That score didn't last long either. In the bottom of the seventh Penn State batted around itself, getting four singles, a double by Lance Thompson and two Indiana errors. The backbreaker was a crucial two-base throwing error by third baseman Vasili Spanos while trying to throw to first on a perfect bunt by Clint Eury, setting up Thompson's RBI double.
"That was the key play," said Hoosiers coach Bob Morgan. "We needed to go out and shut them down in the seventh. We misplay that bunt and they jump up and score two more, and then they could be more aggressive at the plate, and they started pounding out hits."
The game began innocently enough, with Hamilton and Cary locked into a pitcher's duel through four innings. Once the hits and errors started piling up, the 3-hour, 11-minute contest became a battle of the bullpens. Aaron Tressler (3-5) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
Staying alive
Three games in 24 hours will be a chore, but Penn State is happy Indiana provided enough breaks to stay alive.
"We just won this one," Thompson said. "Michigan is a pretty big rival. We'll be ready."
In Friday's early game, a desperate reaction by Minnesota's David Roach was enough to send the Gophers to the semifinals.
Roach's double in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Luke Appert and gave Minnesota a 4-3 victory over Penn State. The top-seeded Gophers (38-18) will face second-seeded Ohio State on Saturday afternoon, with the winner advancing to Sunday's title game.