May 20, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Boilermakers locked up a berth in the 2006 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament with a split against Northwestern on Saturday at Lambert Field. The Wildcats won the day's opener 6-2 before the Boilermakers shut down Northwestern in the nightcap 3-0.
With the twinbill split, the Boilermakers moved to 15-16 in Big Ten play. With one game remaining, Purdue is one game ahead of Illinois for fifth place, and two games ahead of Penn State and Michigan.
The second game win also gave Purdue 30 wins on the season, marking the first 30-win campaign for the Boilermakers since 2001, a year that saw Purdue go 32-24.
The secured spot in the postseason tournament marks the third consecutive year Purdue has advanced into the Big Ten Tournament, and the 11th time since the tournament was introduced in 1981.
In the first game, late runs by the Wildcats were too much for the Boilermakers to overcome as Northwestern scored six times in the four innings, including four runs in the final two frames.
Purdue had an RBI each from Mitch Hilligoss and Neal Gorka, but the Boilermakers' 10 hits were not enough against NU southpaw Dan Brauer, who finished the Big Ten season 7-0.
The pitching dominance went back to the Boilermakers in the second game as Jay Buente and Chris Toneguzzi combined for 13 strikeouts while yielding just six hits. Buente pickd up the win to improve to 5-4, while Toneguzzi recorded his fifth save of the season.
Purdue scored three times in the second inning off Wildcat starter George Kontos on two hits, two walks and a wild pitch. A two-run single by Spencer Ingaldson broke the scoreless tie, driving in Eric Wolfe from third and Eric Osborn from second. The errant pitch, one of four in the game by Kontos, enabled Alex Jaffee to score from third with the third run.
That would be all the support Buente would need for the win as the senior struck out 10 batters in five innings. Toneguzzi fanned three in two innings of relief to slam the door shut on the game and open the door to the tournament field.
The site of the tournament is still yet to be decided. One more win by Michigan over Iowa will give the Wolverines the regular-season title and the hosting honors. If Iowa wins the final two games with Michigan, and Northwestern defeats Purdue on Sunday, the Wildcats would earn hosting rights.
The Boilermakers and Wildcats return to Lambert Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday for the series finale. The game will be broadcast in the Lafayette area on WLAS AM 1401 and on the web at www.purduesports.com.
The game will be precluded by a ceremony honoring the seven Purdue seniors on the 2006 roster. The Class of 2006, taking the field at Lambert Field for the final time on Sunday, consists of Jay Buente, Brent Coudron, Trae Dauby, Neal Gorka, John Hunter, Chris Toneguzzi and Eric Wolfe.