March 4, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Boilermaker bats could not find a groove against North Carolina pitcher Daniel Bard, as the Boilermakers fell to the No. 3 Tar Heels 5-2 in front of over 1,100 at Boshamer Stadium.
Bard struck out 13 in a complete-game effort, allowing only one offensive spark for the Boilermakers. Bard yielded five hits and one walk, moving his record to 2-0.
The offensive spark for the Boilermakers came in the top of the seventh when Eric Osborn took a 1-0 offering from Bard over the centerfield wall for a two-run home run, cutting the Purdue deficit to 4-2 at the time. Osborn's homer scored Neal Gorka, who reached base with a one-out single.
UNC scored first in the third inning on a home run by Jay Cox, his second solo shot of the series and third homer of the year.
The Tar Heels scored three more times in the fourth thanks to the long ball, as Seth Williams drove a pitch from Boilermaker starter Dan Sattler out to left. Williams' shot scored Matt Spencer and Benji Johnston after the pair had reached by base hit and walk.
After Osborn's roundtripper cut the UNC lead to 4-2, the Heels added an insurance run in the home half of the seventh against Purdue reliever Allan Donato. Two singles and a double, all with two out, scored the final run. It was a two-bagger to left by Spencer that plated Josh Horton from second with the game's final run.
Sattler (0-1) was hit with the loss. The junior allowed four runs in six innings on seven hits, striking out five and issuing three free passes.
Osborn was 2-4 with the home run, a run scored and two RBI. Gorka was also 2-4 at the plate, with a run scored.
The three-game series concludes on Sunday when the Boilermakers and Tar Heels take the field at Boshamer Stadium for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.