March 23, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Sophomore center fielder Nate Sickler's two home runs paced the Purdue baseball team to a 17-12 victory over St. Joseph's on Tuesday in Rensselaer, Ind.
Sickler drove in five runs in the game on a pair of home runs, one in the third inning and one in the eighth. It was his second five-RBI game of the season.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, the Boilers exploded for 10 runs. Sickler, senior Ryan Cole and sophomore Daryl Hallada each hit two-run home runs in the inning.
Purdue pounded out 17 hits in the game, while the Pumas collected 14. Junior right-hander Andy Helmer allowed 10 hits in seven innings but still managed to pick up his second victory of the season. He struck out five while walking four.
Hallada drove in four runs on four hits, raising his season average to a team-best .461. Junior Chris Walker pulled his batting average up to .403 with a 2-for-3 performance.
The Boilers have won four of their last five and are currently 6-10. Purdue's home opener is Wednesday at 3 p.m., as the Boilermakers host Valparaiso at Lambert Field.