April 22, 2001
The Purdue baseball team closed a successful weekend at Illinois with an exciting 9-8 victory, a game where the lead changed hands four times after the seventh inning, with the Boilermakers hanging on and taking the third game and final game of the series. Billy Lester won his third game of the season for the Boilermakers, coming on in relief, while Jeff Gertz takes the loss for the Illini. The win marked Purdue's 18th in its last 20 games. They improved their road record to 16-9, two wins away from equalling their 2000 road win total and with a 14-4 Big Ten record, are three conference wins away from equalling their 2000 total.
In the first inning, Dave Blomberg extended his hitting streak to 17 games in his first at-bat, jacking his second home run of the year to right field. Sean O'Neil, making his ninth start of the season, gave up one hit in the first inning then got Andy Shotzenhofer to ground out in to a double play.
In the second inning, Nate Sickler led off the inning with his sixth home run of the season to center field, giving Purdue a 2-0 lead. John Gusich walked to get on base then went to second on a wild pitch. Simon Klink walked in his first-at bat of the day, putting two men on with one out. Duursma reached base on a fielder's choice as Simon Klink was forced out at second. Gusich moved over to third, then scored on a passed ball, building Purdue's lead to 3-0 after an inning and a half.
O'Neil yielded a solo shot to Luke Simmons in the bottom of the second. He got Rob Fischer to fly out to center field, followed by a nice catch by Kris Luce in foul territory and a strong throw by John Gusich to first on a ground out to get the final out of the inning. Purdue still led 3-1.
Purdue scored for the third consecutive inning as Blomberg led off the inning with his second home run of the game, almost to the exact same spot in right field. Blomberg increased his weekend total to 8-for-11. Harrell doubled for the team's fourth hit of the game, the team's first hit of the game that was not a home run.
After giving up two singles to put runners at first and second, O'Neil forced T.F. Meagher to ground out into a double play, the team's second of the game. The Boilermakers went scoreless in their half of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, O'Neil picked up his first strikeout, striking out Andy Shutzenhofer for the first out of the fourth. Luke Simmons flied out to center field and Patrick Arlis grounded out to third to end the inning.
Daniel Underwood led off the fifth inning with a single, his first of the game, but the Boilermakers did not add to their lead. O'Neil gave up one run in the fifth, which was unearned, as he continued to get Illini batters to ground out. Through his first five innings pitched, of his retired batters grounded out, which including two double plays. Purdue went scoreles in the top of the sixth, still in the lead at 4-2.
Illinois added another run in the bottom of the sixth, narrowing Purdue's lead to 4-3. With one runner on, O'Neil forced a ground out and Gusich made a nice catch in foul territory, in front of the Illinois dugout, to end the inning.
O'Neil faced one batter in the bottom of the seventh, giving up a triple to Brian Raymond to lead off the inning. Adam Green replaced O'Neil, who finished pitching six complete innings and allowed three earned runs. Green yielded a home run to Brady Ballard, which also scored Raymond and gave Illinois their first lead of the day at 5-4. After the home run to Ballard, Green settled and retired the next three batters.
Entering their first inning without the lead, the Boilermaker offense quickly went to work as Blomberg led off with a double to left field, his third of the game. McIntyre then singled, moving Blomberg to third. Blomberg tied up the score, scoring on a passed ball. McIntye advanced to second on the passed ball. Harrell got on base after a throwing error by the shortstop, as McIntyre moved over to third. Luce walked, loading the bases for John Gusich. Gusich reached on a fielder's choice, driving in McIntyre and putting Purdue in the lead again at 6-5. Gusich stole second before the inning was over, as Purdue added two runs and three hits in its half of the eighth.
Luke Howard came on to relieve Green, and gave up two singles to put runners at first and second. Trevor Frederickson bunted at Howard, attempting to move the runners up, but Howard threw out Fischer at third, still holding runners at first and second, but with one out. DiMaria reached on a fielder's choice, as Frederickson was put out at second. Arlis advanced to third, then scored after Ballard was hit by a pitch. Billy Lester came on to get the final out, getting Meagher to ground out to second.
Again, Purdue fought their way back in the ninth, as Mike Duursma doubled to lead off the ninth. Underwood walked to put two runners on with no outs. With a full count, Dave Blomberg attempted a bunt, but was called for the strikeout. In the next at-bat, on McIntyre's first pitch, he drilled his first home run of the season to left field, scoring Duursma and Underwood, giving Purdue the lead again at 9-7. It was Purdue's fourth home run of the game, tying their season-high for home runs in a game which was set the day before in a 16-2 victory over Illinois.
Illinois would not go quietly as Schutzenhofer doubled to lead off the inning. After Simmons was walked, Lester struck out Fischer for the first out of the inning. Arlis walked to load the bases, followed by the catcher Frederickson walking, scoring Schutzenhofer, bringing Illinois to within one run at 9-8. Doug Schreiber had faith in his freshman being able to finish the game, keeping Lester in the game with the bases loaded and just one out. Lester got Vince DiMaria to line out to Duursma, then the game was ended as Brian Raymond flied out to center field, ending the game and clinching the Boilermakers' 23rd victory of the season.
NOTES - Blomberg finished the weekend 9-for-14 (.643) with three RBI, seven runs scored, four doubles and two home runs, in addition to hitting two home runs in Sunday's win ... Blomberg had multi-hit games in all four games of the series ... Blomberg had a slugging percentage of 1.357 for the weekend ... Duursma was 7-for-13 (.538) with four RBI and five runs scored with four doubles and one home run ... Duursma also had a slugging percentage of 1.077 ... McIntyre and Underwood led the team with five RBI apiece over the weekend ... Sickler's sixth home run of the season was the 30th of his careerthe Boilermakers hit nine home runs over the weekend ... the Boilermakers outscored Illinois 34-23, and have won seven of the last nine meetings with the Illini.