April 16, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Purdue baseball team fell to a late-inning rally by the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday at Rocky Miller Park, losing a 7-6 10-inning Big Ten contest. The Boilermakers are now 13-16 overall and 4-5 in conference play.
Northwestern overcame a 6-2 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the ninth and then defeated the Boilermakers with a 10th-inning home run.
Purdue scored two runs in the third inning on a home run to left field by senior Mitch Koester (Effingham, Ill.), tying the score at 2-2. The Boilermakers scored a single run in the eighth inning to grab a 3-2 lead heading into the final inning.
Freshman Eric Osborn (Fishers, Ind.) launched a three-run round tripper in the top half of the ninth to give the Boilermakers a 6-2 advantage. However, Northwestern got to Purdue starter Scott Byrnes (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the ninth with a two-run homer that cut the lead to 6-4. Sophomore Trae Dauby (Dale, Ind.) relieved Byrnes but could not keep the Wildcats from scoring two more runs to force extra innings.
Leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, Wildcat catcher Dan Pohlman ended the game with a long ball over the centerfield wall, giving Northwestern a 7-6 win.
Byrnes pitched 8.0+ innings for the Boilermakers, yielding four runs, three earned, in the no-decision. The junior struck out seven and did not issue a walk. Dauby (3-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, in 1.0+ innings of work.
Purdue and Northwestern return to Rocky Miller Park on Saturday for a 1PM doubleheader.