March 30, 2005
MUNCIE, Ind. - Miscues and two unearned runs proved to be the difference in the game as Purdue dropped a one-run ballgame to Ball State, 9-8. The Boilermakers allowed two unearned runs in the game, including the winning run in the eighth inning.
With the loss, the Boilermakers fall to 5-13. Purdue is 2-13 on the road this season. Ball State improved to 13-9 with the victory.
Purdue hitters got to the Ball State pitching early but the Cardinals offense stayed consistent throughout the contest, scoring in five of the eight innings in which they batted.
Ball State scored a run in the first inning on a pair of singles to take the lead 1-0. Purdue responded in the second with a single run to tie the game.
With one out, junior John Hunter singled to right-center and advanced to second on a base hit by sophomore Spencer Ingaldson. With a 1-2 count, sophomore Eric Osborn singled through the right side of the infield on a checked swing, scoring Hunter from second with the tying run.
The Cardinals jumped back in the lead with two runs in the second inning without a base hit. Three consecutive walks by Purdue junior starter Jay Buente loaded the bases before he was relieved by freshman Allan Donato. A passed ball allowed the Cardinal baserunners to advance 90 feet, scoring a run in the process. With one out in the inning, a groundball to second pushed home another run to make the score 3-1.
Purdue answered with a bang in the third inning, scoring five runs to grab a 6-3 lead. Sophomore Mitch Hilligoss continued his hot hitting in 2005 with a one-out single, his second hit of the day. A basehit by junior Neal Gorka and a hit-by-pitch to junior Eric Wolfe loaded the bases. With two down, Ingaldson doubled to left-center to score two runs and Osborn followed with a three-run blast to centerfield, his first home run of the season.
Ball State would inch closer with a run in the third, but Purdue would get that run back in the top of the fourth.
With a new Cardinal pitcher on the mound, the Boilermakers wasted little time as senior Andy Dahl drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. A single to left-center by Wolfe scored Dahl with Purdue's seventh run of the game, making the score 7-4.
The Cardinal floodgates opened in the home half of the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take an 8-7 lead. The inning opened with a home run to center by Kyle Dygert and would not end until Ball State had taken the lead on four more hits.
Purdue tied the game in the eighth inning with an RBI ground ball off the bat of Dahl. Senior Mike Coles led off the inning with a triple to right-center. Freshman A.J. Prickel was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corner and Dahl followed with a grounder to third. BSU third baseman C.J. Webb mishandled the ball allowing all runners to advance safely, tying the game at 8-8.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ball State got a single by Brad Miller and a single by Dygert. However, the base hit off the bat of Dygert was misplayed in right field and Miller circled the bases to scored the winning run.
Junior Chris Toneguzzi was hit with the loss, his first decision of the 2005 season. Purdue used five pitchers in the contest. The win went to Kory Bucklew, now 2-1, and Erik Morrison recorded his seventh save with a scoreless ninth inning.
For the game, Osborn led the Purdue offense with two hits and four RBI. Ingaldson and Hilligoss also had two hits, while Ingaldson drove in two runs.
The Boilermakers return to Lambert Field for the start of the Big Ten season, opening the series with Penn State at 3 p.m. on Friday. Eight fans will receive authentic Purdue game jerseys during Staurday's 1 p.m. doubleheader, and the series will conclude with a Sunday game at noon.