May 26, 2004
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - A pitcher's duel turned into a slugfest and Purdue walked out of Siebert Field with a spot in the winners bracket of the 2004 Big Ten Tournament as the Boilermakers outlasted Michigan State on Wednesday afternoon, 6-5.
In a game tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, junior Andy Dahl (Fair Oaks, Calif.) stepped to the plate against first-team All-Big Ten reliever Adam White and launched the first pitched he saw deep over the left field wall for a grand slam, the third hit by Purdue this season.
A ninth-inning RBI single by sophomore Eric Wolfe (Toronto, Ontario) drove home the eventual game-winning win as Michigan State rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was a little too little, a little too late.
Purdue hurler Scott Byrnes (Cincinnati, Ohio) was credited with the win, pitching seven innings and yielding one run on four strikeouts. The four whiffs posted by Byrnes gives the junior 85 for the season, tying Chris Bloomer (1997) for third on the single-season strikeout record list.
The Boilermakers grabbed the early lead, scoring a run in the second inning on three consecutive two-out singles. Freshman Eric Osborn (Fishers, Ind.) started the string of singles with a line drive to left and went to second on a base hit off the bat of Dahl. Senior Mitch Koester (Effingham, Ill.) lined a single to left to score Osborn from second base with the game's first run.
MSU tied the score in the fifth frame on an RBI single by Oliver Wolcott off Byrnes (4-5) that scored Troy Krider from third.
The game remained tight until Dahl, a third-team All-Big Ten selection, tattooed White's offering. The bases were juiced after a double by Wolfe, a double by senior Ben Fritz (Minnetonka, Minn.) that moved Wolfe 90 feet, and a walk issued to Osborn.
Senior Simon Klink (Auburn, Ind.) opened the ninth inning with a double, his 14th of the season, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Neal Gorka (Westchester, Ill.). Wolfe ripped a single in front of right fielder Travis Gulick that plated Purdue's much needed sixth run.
In the home half of the ninth, the Spartans got to reliever Trae Dauby (Dale, Ind.), a second-team All-Big Ten honoree, with four runs driven in by the bat of Gulick. Gulick stepped to the plate with the bases full and followed Dahl's cue by hitting a grand slam to left. Senior Jason Driscoll (Mishawaka, Ind.) took the hill and set the Spartans down to post his league-leading eighth save of the year.
The bottom of the Purdue lineup held the hot bats as Wolfe, Fritz, Osborn, Dahl and Koester combined for 12 of the Boilermakers' 14 hits on 21 at-bats.
Purdue will face top-seeded Minnesota on Thursday evening in their second game of the tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with the Boilermaker radio broadcast starting at 6:50 p.m. The action can be heard on WLAS AM1410 in the West Lafayette area and via the internet at www.purduesports.com.
Purdue's 2004 All-Big Ten Honorees
Second Team
Mitch Koester, Sr., Shortstop
Simon Klink, Sr., Third Base
Trae Dauby, So., Relief Pitcher
Third Team
Andy Dahl, Jr., Outfield
John Hunter, So., Designated Hitter