March 12, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Purdue Boilermakers fought back vs. the 18th-ranked Missouri Tigers, and through a weather delay that included a 15-minute hail storm, to post an 8-6 win at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field on Sunday.
The win gave the Boilermakers a 2-1 series win, the first series win over a ranked opponent since Purdue deated No. 25 Minnesota three games to one on March 12-14, 2000.
Purdue overcame a third-inning 4-2 deficit and a 6-5 deficit in the fourth inning to post the win, improving to 4-4 on the season.
The game was stopped for one hour and 40 minutes in the bottom of the sixth inning due to rain, lightning, and a tornado warning. Three tornados touched down in neighboring areas, and the storm produced a 15-hail storm at Simmons Field that left the outfield littered in ice stones for the remainder of the contest.
Purdue got on the board in the first inning when Mitch Hilligoss led off the contest with a double down the left field line and scored two batters later on a fielder's choice off the bat of Eric Wolfe.
Hilligoss doubled again in the second inning, this time with Alex Jaffee on second base, driving the freshman in with Purdue's second run. Jaffee reached on an error by Missouri shortstop Gary Arndt.
Jaffee was 2-5 at the plate, the first hits of his collegiate career, and scored twice.
Missouri cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI double to right-center by Derek Chambers. One inning later, the Tigers would take the lead, 4-2, on a two-run double by Zane Taylor and a sacrifice fly by Jacob Priday.
The deficit was quickly erased as Purdue scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jaffee led off with a single to third base and Dane Wolfe dropped down a bunt that was booted by MU pitcher Aaron Crow, giving the Boilermakers two base runners. Hilligoss followed with a drive deep over the right-centerfield wall for his second home run of the season, a shot that put Purdue up 5-4.
Hilligoss was 4-6 at the plate on Sunday with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI.
Mizzou came right back with a pair of runs in the fourth when Priday lifted an offering from Purdue starter Ricky Heines over the left field wall for a two-run homer.
Purdue wasted little time regaining the lead, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth for an 8-6 lead. With the bases loaded, Eric Wolfe sent a flyball out to right for a sacrifice fly, driving in brother Dane from third. John Hunter drove the next pitch into the gap in left-center for his fifth double of the season, scoring Hilligoss and Spencer Ingaldson on the play.
Trae Dauby, who entered the game with two down in the fourth inning, shut the Tigers out in the fifth and was ready to pitch to Arndt to open the sixth when play was stopped due to lightning. Dauby returned to the mound when the weather cleared and play resumed, putting zeroes on the scoreboard through the eighth inning.
Chris Toneguzzi slammed the door shut in the ninth inning, striking out two batters and recording his first save of the season. Dauby (1-0) was credited with the win, pitching 4.1 innings of shutout ball, yielding only two hits.
Eric Wolfe and Hunter each went 2-4 at the dish with two runs batted in.
Purdue's Spring Break roadtrip through the Show-Me State continues with two games in Springfield vs. Missouri State, beginning with a 3 p.m. (Central) game on Tuesday, March 14.