May 8, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A six-run fourth inning by Penn State put the Boilermakers in a hole too deep from which to climb as Purdue fell to the Nittany Lions 8-6 in the final game of the weekend's Big Ten series at Lambert Field.
Purdue, Penn State and Minnesota are now tied for fifth in the conference standings with an 11-13 league record with two Big Ten weekends remaining. The top six teams in the final standings advance to the Big Ten Tournament.
Monday's loss marked the first time the Boilermakers lost the finale of a four-game Big Ten series this season.
With Purdue up 1-0 in the fourth inning, PSU sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs (four earned) on five hits and one Boilermaker error. A single, a sacrifice and a double resulted in the Lions' first run, tying the game at 1-1. A single and a walk had the bases loaded when Travis Laird's grounder to shortstop was misplayed, nullifying a chance at an inning-ending double play. Two singles and an RBI grounder followed to finish off the six-run frame.
The Boilermakers cut into the five-run deficit in the bottom of the fourth with four hits, including an RBI base hit by Neal Gorka. An error by PSU shortstop Scott Gaffney resulted in a second run in the inning.
Purdue closed the gap to 6-5 in the fifth inning when Spencer Ingaldson's single plated Mitch Hilligoss from second, and a sacrifice fly by John Hunter drove in Ingaldson.
The Boilermakers would not get closer.
Penn State scored twice in the eighth inning on three hits and an error to move the score to 8-5. Lance Thompson's single down the line to right drove home both runs in the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Purdue pushed across one run on a grounder by Hunter, scoring Ingaldson. However, Gaffney moved to the mound from his shortstop position and retired the Boilermakers' final batter to close the game.
Craig Clark (3-6) got the win for PSU, pitching seven innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits. Gaffney recorded his first save of the season.
The loss went to Jay Buente (4-3), who made his first start since pitching one inning vs. Michigan on April 21. Buente went 3.1 innings on the mound and yielded six runs (four earned) on eight hits.
Purdue stays at home for a midweek contest, playing Indiana State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Lambert Field.