March 17, 2004
ATLANTA, Ga. - In a game that saw a total of 34 runs and 37 hits, the Purdue baseball team was beaten on Wednesday by a final score of 18-16 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Boilermakers got a multi-hit game from five different hitters, including a career high four-hit game from first baseman Eric Wolfe (So., Toronto, Ontario). Purdue collected 10 extra-base hits on the day, including three home runs.
The Boilermakers wasted no time getting runs across as they scored three times in the top of the first Center fielder Mike Coles led off the game with a double. With one out catcher Ben Fritz (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.) drove his first home run of the season over the wall in right field for a 2-0 lead. Third baseman Simon Klink then beat out an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Wolfe to make it 3-0.
Georgia Tech quickly answered in the bottom of the first as it scored seven times on seven hits, six of which were singles. Purdue chipped away at the Yellow Jackets' lead with two runs in the second. Shortstop Mitch Koester (Sr., Effingham, Ill.) drew a one-out walk and Coles followed with a home run to straight away center field, his third long ball of the season, putting the score at 7-5.
The Yellow Jackets put four more runs on the board in the bottom of the second but Purdue kept the offense going in the third. Designated hitter John Hunter started the frame by launching his first home run of the season, which cleared the wall in right. Klink was then hit by a pitch. With one out, second baseman Eric Osborn (Fr., Fishers, Ind.) hit a triple to the gap in right-center scoring Klink and cutting the Georgia Tech lead to 11-7. Right fielder Andy Dahl (Jr., Fair Oaks, Calif.) then put a bunt down the first base line which he beat out. Osborn scored on the play as Purdue inched closer with the score 11-8. The Yellow Jackets added a single run in the bottom of the inning, extending their lead to four.
Purdue kept the runs coming in the top of the fourth as left fielder Mitch Hilligoss (Fr., Windsor, Ill.) led off with a triple down the left field line. With one out, Hunter was hit by a pitch making it first and third. Klink hit a ground ball to second which scored Hilligoss and sent Hunter to second. Wolfe then singled to left, again putting runners on the corners. Facing an 0-2 count Osborn sent the next pitch from Tim Gustafson over the head of Georgia Tech center fielder Brandon Boggs for a double that scored Hunter and Wolfe, bringing Purdue within one at 12-11.
The scoring subsided briefly until the bottom of the fifth when the Yellow Jackets scored a run to go ahead 13-11. They plated another single run in the sixth to take a 14-11 lead.
The Boilermaker bats heated up again in the seventh as Wolfe led off the inning with a single. Osborn followed with a double inside the left field line, his third extra-base hit of the day, with Wolfe stopping at third. With one out, Koester hit a ball towards the mound that deflected off the pitching rubber and allowed him to reach first, Osborn to move to third, and Wolfe to score. Coles also connected for his third extra-base hit of the afternoon with a double to left that drove home Osborn and put Koester on third, again bringing Purdue within one at 14-13. Then as Georgia Tech catcher Andy Hawranick recovered a pitch to Hilligoss that had gotten away, he fired the ball to third base as Koester retreated to the bag. The throw got past third baseman Wes Hodges and rolled into left field while Koester scored on the error to tie the game at 14 and Coles advanced to third. Hilligoss then squeezed Coles home with a bunt back to the mound that gave Purdue a 15-14 advantage.
Georgia Tech would not trail for long as it tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by first baseman Whit Robbins. With one out, shortstop Tyler Greene connected for his fourth home run of the season which made the score 17-15 and gave the Yellow Jackets a lead they would not surrender.
Purdue added its final run in the eighth as Klink, who had doubled, scored on a Georgia Tech error. The Yellow Jackets responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to go up 18-16.
Both teams used six pitchers in the game with Martin Havens (Jr., Highland, Ind.) taking the loss for Purdue to fall to 1-1. Jordan Crews got his first win for Georgia Tech and John Goodman recorded his third save. Purdue now stands at 3-8 on the season and Georgia Tech moved to 11-9.
The Boilermakers will continue their eight-game spring break trip on Friday night in the first game of a weekend series against Jacksonville State at Rudy Abbott field. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EST.