Pitching staff struggles during weekend as Hoosiers win 1, lose 2 against Nittany Lions

Penn State ripped apart the Hoosiers' fragile pitching staff in two days at Sembower Field.\nThe final tally of the wreckage during the three-game Big Ten series included 24 allowed runs, eight pitchers and a starter lost to an elbow injury.\nTwo losses sandwiched a 6-3 IU win with bright performances from pitchers senior Nick Otte and freshman Adam Pegg, but the overall weekend magnified the Hoosiers' continuing pitching woes.\nStarter Brad Edwards was tagged for six earned runs in Friday's 14-4 loss. He gave up five walks and eight hits in four innings. IU dropped Saturday's second game 7-1 after expending three pitchers.\n"I think my concern right now is that the hitters we're going to face in the conference are going to take advantage of our mistakes," said pitching coach Jeff Calcaterra. "I think Penn State's done a good job of putting the ball in play when we make mistakes pitching-wise."\nStarter Matt Rice, a junior, was pulled early in the second inning of Saturday's second game with inflammation in his left elbow. After allowing a run in the game, Rice's earned-run average ballooned to 6.75 and his record fell to 1-3.\nThe Hoosiers already lost their No. 1 starter, David Ferris, to torn ligaments. Calcaterra said Rice's injury doesn't appear serious, but coach Bob Morgan said he isn't comfortable with more damage to the pitching staff.\n"That's a big blow to us because we're a thin pitching staff also with the loss of our No. 1 pitcher Dave Ferris and now Matt Rice, our No. 3 starter," Morgan said. "An already depleted pitching staff is getting more depleted."\nBesides injury, the Hoosiers were unable to contain Penn State's batters. After Rice exited, reliever Ryan Smith, a sophomore, was pulled in less than two innings after throwing a wild pitch that allowed another Penn State run.\nReliever Joe Kemp, a freshman, allowed five runs -- four earned -- in the remaining four innings of IU's 7-1 loss. The three pitchers combined to strike out only two batters and walked two.\nWhile IU pitchers struggled in the third game of the series, Penn State got its first complete game of the year from pitcher Justin Nash. He allowed a run and struck out six in seven innings.\n"He did what he was supposed to -- he kept us off base," third baseman Vasili Spanos said. "He did a good job, but I think we could have hit him. We had a couple opportunities early and we didn't capitalize on them."\nIU was able to secure its only win of the weekend in the series' second game on two pitchers' steady performances. Otte allowed only three runs in five and a third innings. Pegg picked up the 6-3 win as he gave up only one hit for the remainder of the game.\nMorgan said Otte, the Big Ten pitcher of the week, was a bit rusty, but he pitched well enough to allow the Hoosiers a chance to win.\n"I think Nick Otte competed well on the mound," Morgan said. "I don't think he was as sharp as he has been for us, but he pitched well enough to win the ballgame. And then Adam Pegg, a freshman, did a really good job in relief to hold them down. We had to secure a bit defensively, and then we just executed well"