April 29, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Four feet. The Boilermakers were roughly four feet away from a potential game-winning home run by Brad Kriner in the top of the twelfth inning. With runners on first and second and the Boilers and Cowboys knotted at 6-6, Kriner hit a line shot that looked like it might make it over the wall in right field. However, the wind held the ball up just long enough for the Cowboys' right fielder to make the catch and send the game into the bottom of the twelfth, still tie at 6-6. It was in that inning that Oklahoma State put together a couple of hits to knock in the winning run and send Purdue home with a 7-6 loss.
"Up to this point we have played 19 innings of good baseball," Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber said. "We have competed hard and played relatively well in 19 of the 21 innings in this weekend series. We had opportunities in the early innings of the tonight's game, particularly in the first inning when we only walked away with two runs. Following that we had a couple of chances to score at different times. The bottom line is these kids competed. They should walk out of the stadium with their heads up. They have to believe that we will be a better team for playing teams like this."
The Boilermakers threw a curve to their starting rotation, throwing No. 3 starter Jeremy Ballard at the Cowboys. Ballard pitched well enough to keep his team in the game as the senior-right hander made it into the sixth inning giving up six scattered runs. The roughest inning for Ballard was the second inning, as the Pokes managed to score three runs on him after he walked the lead off hitter. Following two singles and a double, the Cowboys had a 4-2 lead. The closing line on Ballard was 5.2 innings, giving up nine hits and six runs, striking out three. Ballard did not get the loss, as the Boilers gave him enough run support to tie the game and put the weight of the game on the very capable shoulders of the Big Ten's top pitching staff. Ballard was relieved by Ben Kaebisch who went one inning giving up two hits, but got out of an important bases loaded jam, keeping Purdue in the game. Kaebisch was followed by Andy Helmer. The Big Ten's save leader (13) came into the game in an unconventional spot, as he was trying to keep his team in the game, rather than close things out. Helmer did just that, as the pitcher than averages 1.2 innings per appearance threw 4.1 and kept the Cowboys at bay, giving the rally-happy Boilermakers a chance to tie the game.
"It took Ballard a while to get settled, but when he settled in he pitched effectively," Schreiber said. "Kaebisch pitched well and Helmer simply went above and beyond."
With the score at 6-4 heading into the eighth inning, Daryl Hallada led off with an important lead off walk. After Kris Luce followed by being hit by a pitch, Purdue had runners at first and second. Enter freshman Brad Kriner, the Boilers batting average leader this season. Kriner roped a single to score Hallada and pull the Boilers within one, with his third RBI of the game. Mike Duursma followed with a muffed bunt attempt that was popped up, but had the good fortune of hitting the first base bag and bouncing away from the Cowboys' first baseman, and just like that the bases were juiced for Chris Walker. Walker followed with a solid hit ground ball to the shortstop, and gave the Boilers their sixth and game-tying run by legging out the fielder's choice and avoiding the inning ending double play.
The game progressed as Helmer was pinned against Quenten Patterson, the Cowboy closer. Both pitchers cut through the respective teams' lineups, keeping the score tied going heading into the twelfth inning. After Patterson walked Hallada with one out in the 12th, Daniel Underwood sacrificed Hallada to second. Playing the numbers, the Cowboys intentionally walked pinch hitter Nick McIntyre to get to the righty-righty matchup with Kriner coming to the plate. Kriner then roped the line drive to right field, which was snagged by Jimbo McAuliff to send the game into the twelfth.
Pinch hitter Toby Rhodes led off with a single and Carlos Gautreaux followed with a double off the wall in right center that scored the speedy Cowboy-pinch hitter for the win. Helmer picked up his first loss of the season (2-1), despite pitching well for 4.2 innings.
"Our goal is to win, but we are here to compete," Schreiber said. "I think that our kids have done that for 19 of 21 innings. We just have to keep our heads in this and keep fighting."