March 20, 2004
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Following a game in which the Purdue pitchers stole the show with a shutout, the offense took over and compiled a 21-hit attack to lead the Boilermakers to a 13-7 victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Four different Purdue batsmen had three-hit games and freshman Mitch Hilligoss (Windsor, Ill.) connected for five hits in six at bats with two RBI's and two runs scored.
Purdue immediately took command of the game with a big first inning in which they scored five runs. With one out, left fielder Hilligoss, designated hitter Ben Fritz (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.), and first baseman Eric Wolfe (So., Toronto, Ontario) strung together three straight singles to left field to load the bases. Third baseman Simon Klink (Sr., Auburn, Ind.) then stepped up to the plate and ripped a base hit to right scoring Hilligoss and Fritz and sending Wolfe to third. Klink and Wolfe scored on a ball that right fielder Matt Bush (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.) drove over the head of Shundell Russaw in center for his first triple of the season. Bush came home to score the fifth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Eric Osborn (Fr., Fishers, Ind.).
Jacksonville State cut Purdue's lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by designated hitter Robby Goodson. Center fielder Mike Coles (Jr., Hammond, Ind.) was slightly shaken up on the play as he collided with the wall in an attempt to rob the home run. He would leave the game and was replaced by Joe Hartman (Fr., Batesville, Ind.).
The Boilermakers put three more runs on the board in the top of the third. Osborn was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a single by catcher Spencer Ingaldson (Fr., Rapid City, S.D.). Shortstop Mitch Koester (Sr., Effingham, Ill.) laced a single over the head of Jacksonville State's shortstop Bret Pettus and into shallow left field. Osborn scored easily on the hit and Ingaldson raced around third as the throw came to the plate. Catcher Johny Prosser fielded the throw only to have the ball knocked loose by Ingaldson as he slid in safely to make the score 7-2. Koester scored on a double by Hilligoss to give Purdue an 8-2 lead.
The Gamecocks plated a run in their half of the third before Purdue exploded for five more runs in the top of the fifth. Ingaldson singled and went to third when Hartman doubled down the line in right. Hilligoss then recorded his fourth straight hit, a single to right field that scored Ingaldson and sent Hartman to third. Hilligoss moved to second on a passed ball and both runners came home to score when Fritz singled up the middle. Wolfe got on with a base hit through the infield and scored along with Fritz on a double down the left field line by Klink which made it 13-3 in favor of the Boilermakers. The double was Klink's second two-bagger of the game and his third hit. Fritz, Hartman, and Ingaldson also recorded three hits in the game.
Jacksonville State added four runs in the seventh off a one-out grand slam by Goodson, his sixth home run of the season and second of the game. That brought the Gamecocks to within six, but they would come no closer. Andrew Groves (Fr., North Liberty, Ind.) came on for the final two outs of the seventh inning and then pitched a scoreless eighth. Jay Buente (So., Evansville, Ind.) finished out the game for Purdue by tossing a scoreless ninth.
Dan Sattler (Fr., West Lafayette, Ind.) made his second start of the year for Purdue and pitched six innings allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits while striking out two and issuing only one walk. Sattler was credited with the win to move his record to 2-1. The Boilermakers improved to 5-8 on the season with the victory while the Gamecocks dropped to 6-12.
Purdue will conclude its three-game series with Jacksonville State as well as finish its eight-game spring break trip on Sunday with a 2 p.m. EST contest at Rudy Abbott Field.