March 23, 2001
Opening conference play at home against defending Big Ten champion Minnesota, Purdue lost a close 6-4 game with the Boilermakers keeping themselves close all the way through to the ninth inning. Ben Quick (1-3) takes the loss for Purdue while Mike Kobow (3-1) gets the win for the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but Purdue quickly answered with two runs in their half of the third. Mike Duursma singled to get on base, then stole second. Dave Blomberg followed Duursma, two at-bats later, with a base hit to put runners on the corner. Duursma scored on a balk, while Blomberg advanced to second. Nate Sickler walked, then Nick McIntyre singled to score Blomberg and even out of the school.
Minnesota took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth, and one run in the sixth and seventh innings. The Boilermakers added two runs in the sixth inning when Sickler led off with a double, followed by a McIntyre walk. Sickler advanced to third when Kris Luce flied out to right field. The bases were loaded after David Harrell was walked. John Gusich stepped to the plate and singled, driving in Sickler. Brad Kriner had a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Harrell.
NOTES - Luke Howard came on to relieve Ben Quick in the eighth inning, pitching two solid innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Quick struck out sixth batters, including the first batter of the game, which marked his 100th career strikeout ... with his six strikeouts today, Quick upped his season total to 42 strikeouts ... Sickler's double was his ninth of the year, giving him 47 for the season, moving him to third in school history behind only Elam Rossy (61) and Daryl Hallada (56).