March 16, 2001
The Purdue baseball team came through with its best outing of its spring break trip, losing narrowly to 1998 National Champion Long Beach State by a score of 4-1.
The Boilermakers were kept in the game thanks in part to a strong outing by starting pitcher Chadd Blasko. Blasko has steadily improved in each of his starts this season, and despite giving up an early run in the first inning, held the Boilermakers in range by pitching the following 6.2 innings scoreless before a throwing error in the eighth inning led to three more Long Beach State runs. For the game, Blasko pitched 7.2 innings, allowed nine hits and just one earned run while striking out two batters. He leads the team with a 4.03 ERA and is second on the team to Ben Quick with 29 innings pitched. In his last two outings, Blasko has pitched a total of 13.2 innings, allowed just three earned runs and struck out four.
Long Beach State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Jeremy Reed hit a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch then scored on a Bryan Kennedy base hit. From there on, Blasko shut down the 49ers. Between the second and seventh innings, he allowed no runs on six hits. He struck out two batters, forced a ground out double play, assisted on two putouts and converted one of his own.
The 49ers didn't put up any offense until the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Bobby Crosby singled, then reached second on a fielder's choice. Edgar Varela reached base on a John Gusich throwing error, which scored Crosby. Verela advanced to third on the error then scored on a Mike Hofius base hit. Freshman Luke Howard replaced Blasko, getting the final out of the inning, but not before Hofius stole second then scored the fourth and final run on a Corry Parrott base hit.
The Boilermakers did get one run back in the top of the ninth inning as Dave Blomberg led off with a single, then advanced to second on a Daniel Underwood sacrifice hit. Nick McIntyre knocked his fifth double of the year, scoring Blomberg from second. Josh Alliston came on to pitch the final two outs for Long Beach State, picking up the save.
Purdue will conclude its California trip over the next two days. The Boilermakers play a doubleheader at UC-Riverside tomorrow, followed by their final game of the week at Cal. St.-Northridge.
NOTES-McIntyre and Gusich each had two hits on the day ... Nate Sickler was held hitless for the first time since his game against Ball State (Feb. 23) ... In his last five attempts as a pinch-hitter, freshman Simon Klink is 1-for-1, but has also drawn four consecutive walks in the last four pinch-hit attempts ... Blasko and Howard, who pitched for the Boilermakers against Long Beach State, have the two lowest ERA's on the team at 4.03 and 4.05 respectively.