April 22, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - All facets of the Purdue baseball game failed to perform on Saturday as the Boilermakers dropped a doubleheader to the Michigan Wolverines at Lambert Field, losing 6-2 and 7-2.
Purdue has slipped to 20-14 overall and 7-8 in the Big Ten Conference, while Michigan has surged into a tie for first place in the league with an 11-4 record (23-13 overall), equaling the conference record of Northwestern.
Game One of the twinbill was mired by defensive miscues, an inability to retired the first batter of the inning, and a lack of timely hits.
Michigan scored in five of seven innings, three of which were started by a leadoff double. Eric Rose doubled to start the game and scored the Wolverines' first run. A leadoff two-bagger in the second by Nate Recknagel resulted in a run, and Adam Abraham's double to open the sixth came around to score.
The Boilermakers had four errors in the game, resulting in two unearned runs, and the offense managed just two run despite connecting for 10 hits against Michigan starting pitcher Paul Hammond (3-3).
Purdue's two runs came on RBI bunts by Eric Osborn, who is nursing a sore shoulder. A sacrifice bunt in the third inning plated the Boilermakers' first run in Ryne White, making the score 3-1 Michigan. A bunt single by Osborn in the fifth inning again drove home White, but that was all the scoring Purdue could muster.
Dan Sattler (3-5) was hit with the loss, surrendering eight hits and five runs (four earned) over 5.1 innings on the hill.
In the nightcap, Purdue's defense clicked but couldn't pick up an ineffective offense or silence a Michigan batting attack.
Michigan scored in the first inning after Rose singled, stole second and later came home on a Doug Pickens single. Two more runs in the second gave the Wolverines a 3-0 lead through two for the second time on Saturday.
Alex Jaffee brought Purdue to within two runs in the fourth inning with a solo home run to left, his first collegiate long ball.
However, Michigan responded with a long ball of its own as Abraham drilled a three-run shot to left in the fifth inning, making the score 6-1. A solo homer in the sixth by Rose made the score 7-1.
Purdue got one more bit of offense in the home half of the sixth when Mitch Hilligoss connected for his fifth home run of the season, a solo blast to left.
Against Michigan pitchers Chris Fetter (3-0) and Craig Murray, the Boilermakers could muster only five base hits, while Michigan battered the Purdue pitchers to the tune of 15 hits.
In falling behind 3-0 in the series, Purdue has allowed at least one run in the first inning of each game, and has now allowed at least one score in the opening frame in each of the last seven contests, a period that has seen the Boilermakers go 2-5.
The series loss marks the first time since last season's series loss to Ohio State that the Boilermakers failed to win or split a Big Ten series. Purdue had won or split eight consecutive conference series during that span.
Purdue will look to take one from Michigan on Sunday in a 1 p.m. game at Lambert Field. The game will be broadcast on the internet at www.PurdueSports.com. The game will not be on local radio in the Lafayette area.