May 26, 2005
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A run in the top of the ninth by the Ohio State Buckeyes sent Purdue into the loser's bracket of the 2005 Big Ten Baseball Tournament, as OSU slipped past the Boilermakers 6-5.
A single just out of the reach of Dane Wolfe at third base by Wes Schirtzinger pushed Steve Caravati across the plate with the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Caravati reach on a single to short, beating the throw by Mitch Hilligoss. After swiping second base, Caravati moved to third when a line drive by Ronnie Bourquin over short was tipped by a leaping Hilligoss, but the Boilermaker was unable to bring the ball down.
Purdue (25-29) will play Michigan on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner of that game will play immediately vs. the loser of Thursday evening's contest between Illinois and Minnesota. Purdue will need to win six consecutive games in order to win the tournament title.
Purdue broke onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning with two runs on three hits against OSU starter Mike Madsen. With one down, Spencer Ingaldson singled between short and third and moved to second on a groundball by Neal Gorka. Andy Dahl singled up the middle to plate the first Boilermaker run. Eric Osborn was hit in the head with a pitch to put two runners on base, and was followed by a run-scoring single to right by Dane Wolfe.
The Buckeyes (37-17) replied the to the two-run inning with a three-run frame of their own against Scott Byrnes. Byrnes walked Eric Fryer and allowed a single by Matt Angle before Mike Rabin turned on a fast ball and sent it over the left-centerfield wall for a three-run homer, his second of the year.
OSU struck for two more in the eighth inning before Byrnes was removed in favor of reliever Trae Dauby. A two-run double to left-center by Jedidiah Stephen brought home Jason Zoeller and Wes Schirtzinger. Dauby retired the next three Buskeyes to get out of the inning.
With time running out and only two hits against Madsen since the second inning, the Boilermakers put together a bottom of the eighth that brought new life to the Purdue fans. Mitch Hilligoss led off the inning with an infield single and Mike Coles doubled to right-center. A base hit up the middle by Eric Wolfe scored both runners to draw the score to 5-4 OSU. A sacrifice bunt by John Hunter moved Wolfe to second, and the first baseman scored on an error by the shortstop off the bat of Ingaldson.
Madsen went the distance on the hill for the Buckeyes, improving to 7-3. Dauby was hit with the loss coming out of the bullpen, dropping the junior to 2-5 on the season.
Purdue and Michigan will get underway at 12:05 p.m. from Illinois Field, with the game being broadcast in the Lafayette area on WLAS 1410 AM on via the internet at www.purduesports.com. Kyle Charters and Ben Fritz will call all of the action.