March 16, 2004
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Purdue baseball team was defeated by a score of 14-4 on Tuesday in the first game of a two-game series against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Purdue fell to 3-7 on the season while Georgia Tech moved to 10-9.
Trailing 2-0, Purdue got on the board in its half of the third inning. Right fielder Andy Dahl (Jr., Fair Oaks, Calif.) led off with a double to left field and moved to third on an errant pick off attempt. Dahl then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of center fielder Mike Coles (Jr., Hammond, Ind.) to make the score 2-1.
In the bottom of the third Georgia Tech began to pull away with a six-run inning that gave the Yellow Jackets an 8-1 lead. They struck for three additional runs in the fourth to go ahead 11-1.
In the fifth Purdue got a lead off single from left fielder Rob Brockel (Fr., Pewaukee, Wis.). Dahl followed with a ground ball to third base that was dropped and thrown away by Georgia Tech allowing him to reach second and sending Brockel to third. Catcher Ben Fritz (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with a line drive that was knocked down by Georgia Tech pitcher Lee Hyde. By the time Hyde recovered the ball Fritz had reached first base and Brockel had scored, putting the score at 11-2.
The Boilermakers scored their final two runs in the eighth, after third baseman Simon Klink (Sr., Auburn, Ind.) singled to start the inning. Designated hitter John Hunter (So., West Lafayette, Ind.) was hit by a pitch making it first and second. Second baseman Eric Osborn (Fr., Fishers, Ind.) reached on a fielder's choice moving Klink to third with Hunter out on the play. First baseman Eric Wolfe (So., Toronto, Ontario) was also hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Then with two outs Dahl connected for his second hit of the game, a single down the left field line that scored Klink and Osborn. Georgia Tech responded with three more runs in their half of the inning to make it 14-4.
Jesse Krause (0-1) made the start for Purdue and was hit with the loss while Hyde got the win for the Yellow Jackets, improving to 1-1.
Purdue and Georgia Tech will complete their two-game series on Wednesday at Russ Chandler Stadium with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.