April 5, 2003
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team battled the cold weather and the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, splitting the Big Ten doubleheader played at Lambert Field. The Boilermakers won the opener 5-3 before falling in the nightcap 5-2. Gametime for the first game was 32-degrees, adn the mercury never rose above 36-degrees during the action.
With the split, Purdue's overall record stays even at 12-12 while it's Big Ten mark stands at 2-4. Illinois has an overall mark of 14-7 with a 3-3 record in conference action.
Senior Nick McIntyre highlighted the afternoon for Purdue with three home runs, upping his season total to eight. McIntyre has hit six home runs in the Boilermakers' last four games. Each of the senior's longballs this year have been solo shots.
McIntyre opened the scoring in the first game for Purdue in the bottom of the first inning, launching an 0-2 pitch over the center field wall for a 1-0 Boilermaker lead. Illinois would answer in the top of the second on an RBI single by T.F. Meagher.
The score would remain knotted at 1-1 until the sixth inning, when Purdue would tack on four runs. Again it was McIntyre who started the scoring, hitting a home run to right-center to lead off the frame. Daniel Underwood followed with a single to right-center, and John Manuel hit his second roundtripper of the season, hitting an 1-0 pitch out to left-cetner. Ben Fritz reached on a fielding error by the Illini shortshot and Brad Kriner lined a double to left-center to score Fritz all the way from first to give Purdue a 5-1 lead.
Illinois struck for a run on an RBI double by Andy Schutzenhofer that forced Boilermaker starting pitcher Mitch Pruemer (3-2) from the mound. A single and RBI groundout scored the third Illini run before Dustin Glant closed the door to record his third save of the year.
Pruemer pitched 6.1 innings for the win, allowing three runs on seven hits. The junior struck out five batters and walked two.
Ted Rowe (2-3) picked up the loss, tossing a complete game while allowing seven hits and four earned runs. Rowe walked one and struck out four.
The nightcap started much the same way as the first game of the twinbill, as McIntyre lined a 2-2 pitch off the scoreboard in right-center field for a 1-0 Purdue lead after one inning of play. And again, Illinois would answer in the second inning, this time on a Drew Davidson solo home run.
The Illini scored a run in the fourth inning when Eric Eymann doubled down the left field line to score Dusty Bensko from first base. An RBI single by Schutzenhofer in the fifth extended Illinois' lead to 3-1.
Purdue answered in the home half of the fifth with a run to close the gap to one run, 3-2. Mitch Koester opened the inning with a walk and Andy Rempel layed down a bunt for a base hit. McIntyre hit into a fielder's choice, moving Koester to third base, and Underwood flew out to the warning track in right to drive home Koester.
Illinois added two insurance runs in the seventh on a two-out single by pinch-hitter Vince DeMaria that plated Schutzenhofer and Ted Rowe, Game One's starting pitcher who was inserted as a pinch runner. Purdue was unable to respond in the bottom of the seventh, ending the game with a 5-2 score.
Scott Byrnes (0-3) was the losing pitcher for the Boilermakers, hurling 4.1 innings and yielding three runs on eight hits. Byrnes struck out four and walked one.
Joe Ziemba (3-0) record the win on 5.0 innings of work, allowing two runs on five hits. Dave Mazurek notched his fourth save of the year after working 1.1 innings of hitless ball.
Purdue and Illinois return to the Lambert Field diamond on Sunday at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader. The game time is tentative and could be moved up an hour due to expected rainfall in the late afternoon or early evening.