May 10, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermakers made it interesting on Monday afternoon, winning the series finale against Michigan, 6-5, scoring the winning run in the eighth inning at Lambert Field to win the Big Ten series, three games to one. Purdue trailed 5-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth before staging the late-innings comeback.
Purdue's three victories over Michigan all came by a one-run margin. The Boilermakers took Saturday's contest 7-6, then one Game Two of a Sunday double header 4-3.
Sophomore Neal Gorka (Westchester, Ill.) picked up the winning RBI, ripping a two-out pinch-hit single through the left side of the Wolverine defense to score junior Andy Dahl (Fair Oaks, Calif.) from third. Dahl led off the inning with a double and advanced 90-feet on a ground out by junior Mike Coles (Hammond, Ind.).
Gorka's single gave sophomore Trae Dauby (Dale, Ind.) his fourth win of the season in relief. Dauby entered the game in the fifth and went 3.2 innings on the hill, allowing one run on four hits while striking out two.
Senior closer Jason Driscoll (Mishawaka, Ind.) pitched the final inning for his Big Ten-leading sixth save, his second of the weekend vs. Michigan. Driscoll's six saves move him into a tie for the fourth-best single season in Purdue history. The record of 13 saves was established in 2000 by Andy Helmer.
Trailing 5-2 midway through the sixth, Purdue closed the deficit to one run on an RBI single by freshman Eric Osborn (Fishers, Ind.) and a sacrifice fly to right by senior Mitch Koester (Effingham, Ill.). Sophomore John Hunter (West Lafayette, Ind.) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and was followed by a base hit by Klink. Osborn's single plated Hunter and Dahl bunted to move Klink and Osborn into scoring position, setting up Koester's RBI.
The Boilermakers tied the score at 5-5 in the seventh when senior Ben Fritz (Minnetonka, Minn.) scored from third on a double-play ball. Fritz had opened the frame with a single to center and went to third on a base hit off the bat of sophomore Eric Wolfe (Toronto, Ontario).
Michigan took the early lead in the game, scoring two runs in the second inning off Purdue starter Chris Toneguzzi (So., Thunder Bay, Ontario) and adding another off reliever Jay Buente (So., Evansville, Ind.) in the fourth.
Purdue chipped away at the lead with two in the home half of the fourth inning on a Wolfe sacrifice fly to center and a Klink single to right. Wolfe's fly ball plated Coles, who was part of a no-hit effort that loading the bases. Coles led off the inning with a walk, followed by a free pass to freshman Mitch Hilligoss (Windsor, Ill.) and a hit-by-pitch to Fritz. Klink's single drove home Hilligoss with Purdue's second run, making the score 3-2 Michigan.
Klink ended the afternoon with three hits, a run scored and a run batted in. The Boilermaker third baseman hit .615 for the weekend against Michigan, picking up eight hits in 13 at-bats, including two doubles and a home run.
With the win, Purdue moves into a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with Michigan at 13-11 in conference play. The Boilermakers are 24-22 overall.
The Boilermakers play their last scheduled non-conference game of the season on Wednesday in Cincinnati against Xavier. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Hayden Field. Purdue returns to Big Ten action next weekend in Iowa City, starting a four-game series with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday at 6 p.m. at Duane Banks Field.