May 5, 2001
The Purdue baseball team fell 8-4 to Indiana State in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Purdue now stands at 27-20 on the season, and will look to rebound in tomorrow's home game against the Sycamores at 3 p.m.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Nick McIntyre notched the first hit of the second game, a base hit to right field. It also marked his team-leading 67th hit of the season. McIntyre was picked off, thrown out at second attempting to steal second.
Chadd Blasko, making his tenth start of the season, forced a pair of fly outs to center, then caught the final batter looking to end the inning.
David Harrell singled to center field to lead off the second inning. After Nate Sickler flied out to right in his first at-bat, Kris Luce was walked, putting two runners on. It marked Luce's fifth time on base in six plate appearances of the two-game series. Gusich grounded out to short, but both runners were able to advance, but did not score.
Blasko gave up two singles in the second, which scored an unearned run for Indiana State, but was able to get Chris Hall to ground into a double play. He got Ben Vannatter to fly out to center, to end the inning, allowing just the one run.
With one out, Daniel Underwood got on base with an infield single, the Boilermakers twelfth consecutive inning with getting a runner on base, but did not score.
After getting the leadoff man to fly out to center, Augie Casson reached base on a fielding error by Mike Duursma. Brad Pierce doubled down the right field line, but McIntyre was able to make a strong throw to second, preventing Casson from attempting to score. Blasko buckled down and struck out Jason Frome for the second time of the game, giving the Boilermakers two outs. Tommy Jeffers doubled to the right field corner, scoring three unearned runs, but Jeffers was thrown out at third on a 9-4-5 play. Purdue trailed 4-0 at the end of three innings.
With one out in the fourth, Sickler got a base hit. Luce was hit by a pitch for the fourth time this year to put two men on. Gusich flied out to right, then Kriner hit a ball sharply to short that deflected off Sickler, who was on his way to third. Sickler was called out on the play as Kriner was credited with a fielder's choice.
Purdom flied out to center field, which marked Underwood's fifth putout of the game. Blasko caught Chris Hall looking, his third strikeout of the game. Blasko struck out Vannatter to end the inning.
Duursma led off the fifth with a double to the left field corner, his 12th of the season. He stole third with one out, then scored the Boilermakers' first run of the game on a double to left field by Dave Blomberg. McIntyre blooped a single to center field, advancing Blomberg to third. Blomberg scored on a passed ball, with Harrell at the plate, as McIntyre moved to second. Harrell hit an infield single that bounced over third base and stayed fair. McIntyre moved to third on the play. Sickler singled to left field to score McIntyre, and suddenly, the Boilermakers trailed by only a run. They finished the inning adding five hits and three runs.
In the fifth inning, and after a full count to Reger, Blasko was able to get the Sycamore second baseman to fly out to center for the first out the inning. Indiana State loaded the bases once more, all via singles. Zaucha doubled to the right field wall, driving in two of those baserunners, but the potential third run was out at home on a 7-6-2 play. Indiana State added one more run on an infield single, accumulating a 7-3 lead after five innings.
Kriner led off the sixth, reaching base on fielding error by the shortstop. It marked the 15th consecutive inning the Boilermakers put a runner on base. Duursma added his second hit of the game, putting two runners on with no outs, going to the top of the order. Underwood laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing both runners. Indiana State made a pitching change, replacing starter Joe Thatcher with Pat Tingley. Blomberg reached base on a fielding error on the second baseman, scoring Kriner from third and advancing Duursma to third. Blomberg stole second, but Duursma was out at home, trying to steal home on a double steal. McIntyre grounded out to short to end the inning, but not before the Boilermakers added another run.
Indiana State left two runners on base in the bottom half of the sixth after one hit and two errors, including Dave Blomberg's first error of the season. Prior to that, he had gone 191 chances this season without committing an error.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Sickler walked, then advanced to second on a Luce ground out. Gusich grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Daniel Hernandez took to the mound to start the seventh. Blasko finished with six innings pitched, allowing three earned runs, struck out five and walked one. Hernandez only allowed one hit in the seventh, but all three of his outs appeared easy, forcing a fly out to left, a ground out to the pitcher and a forced out at second.
Purdue went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, the first inning of the doubleheader where Purdue did not get a baserunner.
Hernandez pitched the eighth, allowing an unearned run after a fielding error by Blomberg hit and a walk before the Sycamores added their eighth run on a wild pitch. He struck out Casson for his first strike out of the game before getting Pierce to ground out to first. Hernandez closed with two innings pitched, his most extensive action of the season, while not allowing an earned run. The Honduras native added one strikeout.
The Boilermakers once again got the leadoff man on base as Blomberg led off with a bloop single to right field. McIntyre came through with his third hit of the game, advancing Blomberg to second, putting two runners on with no outs. Harrell flied out to right for the first out. Blomberg was thrown out at third on a double steal attempt, just the fourth time Blomberg has been caught stealing this season.
NOTES - With his three hits, McIntyre is just 14 hits away from setting a new single-season record for hits in a season ... the Boilermakers added two doubles to give them a season total of 102, six away from breaking the single-season record set by last year's team ... Duursma's two hits give him his fourth consecutive game with two hits, his fifth in his last six games ... of the 18 total innings played on Saturday, the Boilermakers put runners on base in all but one inning, that being the eighth inning of the second game.