May 8, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A flare for the dramatic combined with a comedy of errors at Lambert Field on Saturday afternoon as the Purdue baseball team won a 7-6 decision over Michigan in the first game of a four-game Big Ten series.
The Boilermakers (22-21, 11-10) scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on four hits and two Wolverine errors to eclipse a two-run deficit and pull off the comeback victory. Purdue is now 11-10 in the Big Ten, just one game behind Michigan for fourth place in the conference standings.
Senior shortstop Mitch Koester (Effingham, Ill.) played the role of the hero in the Boilermaker win ... twice. In the sixth inning with the game knotted at 2-2, Koester sent his sixth home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Old Gold and Black a two-run lead. After Michigan responded to take a 6-4 lead, it was Koester's bat that sparked a play that would decide the game in the strangest of ways.
With one run in the eighth and freshman Eric Osborn (Fishers, Ind.) on second base, Koester lofted a fly ball into shallow left. A diving attempt by Michigan's Brad Roblin came up short and centerfielder Eric Rose picked up the ball and attempted to throw Osborn out at third base. However, Rose's throw sailed high, allowing Osborn to reach third safely.
With the ball sitting along the fence near the Purdue dugout, Osborn broke for the plate. Wolverine pitcher Jim Brauer's attempt to nail Osborn at the plate was launched down the first base line, allowing both Osborn and Koester to score on the play. Koester's run, Purdue's third in the inning, proved to be the game winner.
Michigan (24-19, 12-9) had opened the game with single runs in the first and third innings, but Purdue answered with two runs in the fourth. An RBI single by junior Andy Dahl (Fair Oaks, Calif.) and a safety squeeze by Koester tied the contest at 2-2.
The Wolverines took a 6-4 lead in the seventh inning on a three-run home run by A.J. Scheidt and a solo homer off the bat of Brandon Roberts, setting up the oddity of the eighth inning.
The bottom half of the Boilermaker lineup proved to be Purdue's saving grace as senior Simon Klink (Auburn, Ind.), Osborn, Dahl and Koester combined for nine hits in 12 at-bats, scoring all seven runs and driving in five.
Senior reliever Jason Driscoll (Mishawaka, Ind.) picked up the victory, improving his season record to 3-1. Driscoll entered the game in the seventh after Scheidt's home run and allowed one run in 2.1 innings, striking out one. Driscoll replaced starter Scott Byrnes (Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio), who yielded five runs, four earned, in 6.2 innings of work.
Purdue and Michigan return to the diamond on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. double header at Lambert Field.