April 30, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Purdue Boilermakers remained undefeated on Sunday in the Big Ten Conference with a 7-6 win over Ohio State at Bill Davis Stadium.
Purdue, now 23-18 overall and 9-11 in conference play, is 5-0 on the final day of Big Ten weekends.
The Boilermakers scored twice in the first, once in the sixth and four times in the seventh to get the win.
Jordan Comadena hit a home run and scored twice, while John Hunter and Ryne White each had two hits and two RBI.
Andrew Groves picked up the win, his first of the season, after coming out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. Chris Toneguzzi picked up his third save of the year to close the game.
The Boilermaker defense came up big in the win, committing zero errors in the game and providing the game-saving play on the final out. With the tying run on third and the winning run standing on second, OSU's Tony Kennedy lofted a pop fly into shallow centerfield. Eric Osborn retreated into center from second base and made a diving catch for the last out of the contest.
The Boilermakers struck first, scoring two runs on a Hunter base hit through the left side of the infield off OSU starter J.B. Shuck. The single scored Mitch Hilligoss, who reached on an error, and Comadena, who singled up the middle.
The Buckeyes tied the score in the fourth against Purdue pitcher Ricky Heines. Jedidiah Stephen's two-run double drove in both runs, making the score 2-2.
In the top of the sixth, White's single to left gave the Boilermakers a 3-2 lead, scoring Eric Wolfe from third base. Wolfe opened the inning by getting hit by a Shuck pitch, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a groundout by Hunter.
Purdue extended its lead to 7-2 in the eighth inning with a four-run inning, including Comadena's third home run of the season. After Comadena led off the inning with the long ball, Purdue picked up RBI hits from White, Neal Gorka and Eric Osborn.
OSU drew closer in the home half of the eighth with three runs against reliever Andrew Groves (1-0). An RBI double by Ronnie Bourquin and a two-run homer by Stephen made the score 7-5 before closer Chris Toneguzzi shut the door in the inning, getting Wes Schirtzinger to fly out to right for the third out.
In the final at-bat, the Buckeyes scored on a double by Bourquin, setting up Osborn's game-saving play.
The Boilermakers are currently tied for fifth in the Big Ten with three other teams, including Penn State, who Purdue will take on this weekend at Lambert Field. The four-game series begins with a 3 p.m. single game on Saturday, continues with a Sunday doubleheader at 1 p.m., and concludes with a single game at 1 p.m. on Monday.