May 7, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Sunday was a day for taking advantage of the opportunities granted by the opposing team, with Purdue exploiting opportunities in Game One and Penn State using their opportunities in the nightcap of a Big Ten doubleheader.
In the end, the Boilermakers won the day's opener 6-2 before watching the Lions claim a 4-0 win in the second game.
Purdue scored six runs on just two hits in the first game of Sunday's twinbill, including five runs in the sixth inning without the benefit of a base hit.
Tied at 1-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, an error by PSU stortstop Scott Gaffney put Spencer Ingaldson on first with no one out. Eric Wolfe followed with a walk and John Hunter was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With Dan Stahl on to run for Ingladson, Ryne White lifted a sacrifice fly out to left-center to break the tie. Neal Gorka received a free pass to again load the sacks, and a second run scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Osborn.
With two on and two out in the inning, Alex Jaffee lined a shot into center that seemed to be tracked down by Garrett Field. However, the ball sailed past the PSU centerfielder and Jaffee circled the bases for a four-base error, the Boilermakers scoring three runs on the play.
In the inning, the Boilermakers scored five times on two walks, a hit by pitch and two Lion errors.
A run in the seventh by Penn State made the score 6-2, and starting pitcher Dan Sattler (4-6) picked up the complete-game victory to snap a three-start losing streak. The seven innings pitched by Sattler tied a season high, which he first recorded on March 18 vs. St. Louis.
In Game Two, the Lions made sure that walks will indeed haunt, scoring three of their four runs by batters who reached base via a free pass.
PSU struck in the first inning after Boilermaker starter Ricky Heines walked the leadoff batter. A sacrifice bunt and double gave the Lions a 1-0 lead. Heines has now walked the first batter faced in a game four times in Big Ten action.
A mental lapse cost the Boilermakers in the fifth inning, giving PSU a 2-0 lead. With two outs and runners on second and third, reliever Brent Coudron coaxed a grounder out of Lance Thompson. Coudron fielded the ball near the first base line and tried to get the runner from third base out at the plate. His throw was not in time and all runners were safe on the play.
An inning later, two walks came around to score to up the Lions' lead to 4-0, the game's final score.
Heines was hit with the loss, dropping his record to 4-2.
After managing just two hits in the first game on Sunday, Purdue musted only three in the nightcap as Seth Whitehill (1-2) pitched a complete game for PSU.
The Boilermakers will try for the series win on Monday at 1 p.m. when they take on the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten series finale.