Feb. 17, 2001
The Purdue baseball team played its second consecutive game against a ranked opponent, falling to 16th-ranked Central Florida, 18-2.
Senior pitcher Dave Gassner had a tough start to his 2001 season, yielding nine runs in 3.2 innings pitched. Central Florida scored one run in the first inning, two in the second and three runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 9-1 lead.
The Boilermakers got their first run in the fourth inning after David Blomberg singled, stole second, then was driven home by a Nick McIntyre double. McIntyre's double was the first extra-base hit of the season. Through two games, he is tied for the team lead in RBI (2) with Mike Duursma.
Central Florida added six runs in their half of the seventh inning, while the Boilermakers notched their second run in their half of the top of the eighth inning when freshman Simon Klink, starting the first two games of the season as the team's designated hitter, had his first collegiate hit and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, then was driven home on a Duursma single.
Freshman Luke Howard was impressive in his first career outing, pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three, despite yielding three earned runs.
The Boilermakers conclude their weekend series at the Coca Cola Classic with a Sunday game against Wake Forest. First pitch is at 1 p.m. EST.