March 25, 2003
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team was unable to break through the pitching of Indiana State on Tuesday, falling to the Sycamores in Terre Haute, 8-0. The shutout is the first suffered by the Boilermakers this season and dropped their record to 10-6. Indiana State improved to 14-3 and now has a 12-game winning streak.
The Old Gold and Black was able to put just six runners on base during the game and accumulated just two hits, the first coming in the fifth inning. John Manuel's single up the middle broke up Indiana State pitcher Matt Zaleski's bid for a no-hitter. The only other Boilermaker to hit safely was Simon Klink, who hit his team-leading ninth double of the season in the eighth.
Indiana State jumped on Purdue starter Luke Howard immediately, scoring three first-inning runs on a towering three-run home run by John Purdom. His fifth of the year, Purdom has hit five of the Sycamores' eight home runs this year.
The Sycamores pushed across another run in the third and held a 4-0 lead until the eighth inning. After the Boilermakers threatened to close the gap in the top half of the inning, Indiana State blew up for four runs in the home half of the frame, highlighted by a two-run home run by Ben Vannatter.
Howard suffered the loss for Purdue, dropping his record to 2-2. Zaleski earned the win for ISU and improved his mark to 4-1.
The Boilermakers are back on the road on Wednesday as they travel to South Bend to take on No. 22 Notre Dame. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.