May 22, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Purdue Nine missed out on a chance to win its first Big Ten title since 1909, dropping a 6-0 decision to Indiana on Sunday at Sembower Field. The Boilermakers complete the regular season with a 17-11 conference record, good for second place in the league.
Purdue now moves on to the 2005 Big Ten Tournament, where the Boilermakers will be the No. 2 seed in the field. Illinois won the Big Ten with a 20-12 record, while the rest of the tournament field will consist of Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Minnesota.
In Sunday's game, Purdue could not pick up a key hit, leaving 12 runners on base, including eight in scoring position.
Indiana struck for two runs in the fourth inning against starting pitcher Dan Sattler, then hit the Boilermakers for three more in the sixth frame. In the eighth inning, the Hoosiers picked up one final run with a solo home run.
In the third inning, Boilermaker shortstop Mitch Hilligoss lifted a single into shallow left field for his 83rd hit of the season, becoming the single-season record holder for the Old Gold and Black. Hilligoss' 83rd hit broke a record set by Archi Cianfrocco in 1987.
At the Big Ten Tournament in Champaign, Ill., Purdue will face the highest seed from the winners of the Iowa/Minnesota and Michigan/Ohio State games. First pitch for the Boilermakers' game will be at 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at Illinois Field.