April 25, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team improved to 19-22 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten with an 8-7 victory over Northwestern on Sunday in West Lafayette. Purdue took three games from the Wildcats over the weekend to win the series.
The Boilers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with two runs in the first inning, two in the second and three in the third, knocking Northwestern starter Ben Dodd (1-2) from the game after only 2-2/3 innings.
Senior first baseman Ryan Cole got the Boilers started with a two-run home run in the first inning, his seventh of the season.
In the second inning, sophomore third baseman David Blomberg and senior second baseman Ryan Bettencourt both drove in runs to give the Boilers a 4-0 lead.
Purdue tacked on three more runs in the third. Junior catcher Erik Frei led off with a walk, advanced to second on Cole's single and stole third. Sophomore right fielder Mike Rose then walked with Frei scoring on a wild pitch. Following a double-play, senior Todd Ellinger was hit by a pitch. Blomberg followed with a single to load the bases, and Bettencourt followed with a two-run single.
Northwestern stormed back in the fourth with four runs on five hits off Purdue starter Andy Helmer (3-3), who cruised through the first three innings. The Wildcats added one run in both the fifth and sixth innings to draw within one at 7-6.
With two outs in the seventh inning, sophomore center fielder Nate Sickler doubled to left. On a pick-off attempt by Wildcat catcher Joe Hietpas, Sickler broke for third and scored when shortstop Jeremy Kurella's throw to third went over the head of third baseman Nick Frenzese.
Northwestern would score once more in the eighth, but junior Jeremy Ballard sealed the Boilermaker victory with two strikeouts in two innings to earn his first save of the season.
Purdue travels to Indianapolis on April 27 to take on Butler at 3 p.m. The Boilers return home on April 28 to take on Xavier at 4 p.m.