April 10, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Purdue was unable to force a split of the four-game Big Ten baseball series with Ohio State, falling to the Buckeyes on Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium 4-2. The Boilermakers won the series opener and then dropped the next three contests, their record slipping to 9-18 overall and 3-5 in league play.
Junior right fielder snapped out a slump that saw him go 1-for-12 at the plate in the first three games, collecting three hits in four at-bats, including his team-leading fourth home run of the season.
OSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning, scoring twice on just one hit. Purdue starter Dan Sattler (1-3) walked the first four batters he faced in the inning, one being thrown out at second on an attempted steal. With one down and the bases full, a single forced in the first run and chased Sattler from the mound. Reliever Allan Donato came out of the bullpen and surrendered a sacrifice fly to drive home the second run.
The play at the plate on the sacrifice was a close one, with the umpire ruling that catcher Spencer Ingaldson had missed the tag. Ingaldson argued the call, bringing head coach Doug Schreiber out of the dugout to protect his catcher. The difference in opinions on the play concluded with the home plate umpire, Steve Partington, asking Schreiber to leave the ball park for the remainder of the game.
Buckeye pitcher Dan DeLucia dominated the Purdue lineup early in the contest, retiring the first 14 batters he faced in the game. The first hit against the Buckeye southpaw was Gorka's blast over the right field wall, closing the Purdue deficit to 2-1.
Purdue loaded the bases with one down in the sixth, but failed to score when DeLucia induced an inning-ending double play.
Following the twin-killing, OSU struck again with two runs in the home half of the sixth on two hits and one Purdue error.
Trailing 4-1, the Boilermakers responded with a run in the seventh. A single down the left field line by Spencer Ingaldson and an infield base hit by Gorka put runners on first and second. John Phegley laced a single past the OSU second baseman for an RBI, drawing the score to 4-2.
However, Purdue could get no closer, leaving two runners on base in the seventh, two in the eighth and one more in the ninth as Jeffrey Carroll came on for the Buckeye save.
The Boilermakers return to the road on Wednesday for a single game with Illinois State in Normal, Ill., beginning at 6 p.m. at Redbird Field. Purdue plays at home next weekend in a Big Ten series vs. Northwestern, the series beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday.