April 16, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team has proven throughout the 36 games of the 2000 season that this will be a team that will never give up. Today's conference game against the Indiana Hoosiers was no different as Purdue came back from being down 6-2 at one point, to take the final game of the four game series from the Hoosiers, 7-6. Purdue used timely hitting and solid relief pitching to claim their ninth conference win this season.
"Basically, it was a three-fold win," Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber said. "Conference wise, we separated ourselves a little bit. It was also a win for our confidence, to know that we're never out of a game. And the third prong is that it was a fun game."
The Boilermakers' excitement level stayed at bay until the sixth inning, when little by little, the Boilers began chipping away at the 3-0 deficit. Mike Duursma led off the sixth with a single, his second hit of the game. Duursma was moved around the bases until David Blomberg knocked in the Purdue-shortstop for the Boilermakers' first run. The aggressive Boilers followed that with a solid line drive single by Nate Sickler. However, the ball was fielded cleanly by Hoosier-center fielder Tim McNab. McNab threw a rocket to the plate in time to cause a collision at the plate by Erik Frei and catcher Kevin O'Brien. When the dust cleared, Frei was called out and the Hoosiers maintained a 3-1 lead. Purdue and IU both matched each other in the seventh, scoring a run each to bring the score to 4-2 heading into the eighth inning. The Boilermakers walked the first batter in the inning as the pitching staff started to unravel. Following two wild pitches with runners in scoring position, the Hoosiers led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. With the Boilermaker-faithful on their feet, Purdue began its comeback. David Blomberg hit a one-out single to get aboard. Erik Frei followed with a single of his own to move Blomberg to second. Nate Sickler, Daniel Underwood and Kris Luce all followed with singles to drive in two more runs for Purdue. With the bases juiced, Daryl Hallada stepped to the plate. Hallada couldn't draw a beat on the Hoosier's fastball, and when the inning ended Purdue still faced a two-run deficit. With Andy Helmer, the Boilermakers' and Big Ten Conference's save leader on the hill, there was little chance IU would round the bases again. True to form, the senior worked through the Indiana lineup without surrendering a single hit.
The Boilermakers opened the ninth inning with their No. 9-1-2 hitters coming to bat. Duursma led off the inning with a single, to complete his day at 3-for-4. Chris Walker followed with a high bouncer over the third baseman's head, and just like that Purdue had hope. David Blomberg executed a clutch two-strike sacrifice bunt, which put runners at second and third. With one out and the game on the line, senior Erik Frei stepped to the plate in what would surely be his last at bat against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Rome, N.Y., native slapped a ground ball to the Hoosiers' short stop. Frei leaped for the bag at first, and in what would end up as the turning point of the game, was called safe. Frei's extra effort had allowed a runner to score and with runners at first and third, gave Purdue a chance to tie or win the game. The Boilermakers' home run leader, Nate Sickler, followed Frei and roped a double to left center field which allowed both runs to score, as Sickler walked off the field with a game winning double. Sickler's extra-base hit was Purdue's only extra-base hit out of its 17 total hits.
"Your attitude and hustle should never lack," Schreiber said. "Everybody in the line-up knew we were going to get it done."
While the excitement in the ninth inning was the headline of the game, Purdue's pitching staff kept them in the game. Russ Morgan opened the day on the hill for Purdue with a 4-4 record. Morgan struggled at times, surrendering three earned runs including a solo home run, but also had his moments of brilliance. With the Hoosiers up 2-0, Morgan settled in to strikeout four straight batters in the fourth and the fifth, including striking out three straight to get out of the fourth. The closing line on Morgan was 6.2 innings, three earned runs and six hits, while striking out eight. Morgan was relieved by Chadd Blasko and Ben Kaebisch, who pitched a combined inning, both giving up a run. Blasko went 0.1, giving up one run on no hits. Kaebisch finished with 0.2, giving up a hit and a run. Helmer closed things out with 1.1 innings with no runs and no hits to pick up his second win of the season, dropping his ERA to 1.19.
"We handled the frustration well," Schreiber added. "We hung with it and our kids deserve credit."
Purdue will be back in action in a non-conference game against Indiana State at Lambert Field on Tuesday, April 18.