March 28, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Boilermakers opened the Big Ten baseball season with a 6-0 loss to Penn State on Friday at Lambert Field. The Nittany Lion pitching staff limited the Boilermakers to two hits in the game, the second shutout suffered by Purdue in the last four days.
With the loss, Purdue dropped to 10-8 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. Penn State improved to 1-0 in the conference and 6-9 overall.
Penn State jumped on the scoreboard early when Adam Warchal homered to left-center field off Purdue starter Mitch Pruemer (2-2) in the first inning. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Nittany Lions until Penn State broke through for three runs in the fourth. A walk, single and sacrifice fly pushed the score to 2-0. On a 1-0 pitch, Wes Reohr took advantage of a 20mph wind to left with a high fly ball that didn't come down until it was in the net over the left field fence.
The Nittany Lions scored two insurance runs in the seventh and left the game in the hands of pitcher Clayton Hamilton (2-2), who allowed just two hits in eight innings while striking out 13. Jim Farrel pitched the final inning with one strikeout.
Purdue didn't break through Hamilton until Eric Wolfe singled to lead off the sixth inning, breaking up the no-hitter. The Boilermakers' second hit came with two out in the eighth, a triple to right-center field by Tyler Johnstone.
Pruemer took the loss for the Boilermakers, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings of work. The junior struck out five and walked three. Matt Skipsky threw 1.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on two hits. Josh Herman hurled the final 2.1 innings of the contest.
Purdue and Penn State return to the Lambert Field diamond at 1 p.m. on Saturday for a conference twinbill. Both games of the doubleheader are scheduled for seven innings.