Feb. 23, 2007
ATHENS, Ga. - A lack of offense and shaky defense were the prominent factors in Purdue's 9-0 season-opening loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at Foley Field on the UGA campus.
The Boilermakers had just three hits and committed three errors in the contest as Purdue lost its season opener for the fourth time in five years.
Josh Lindblom was hit with the loss in his first start as a Purdue Boilermaker, yielding four runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings. Eric Van Matre allowed five runs (four earned) in 2.1 innings of relief, and Drew Wurdack made his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
Georgia opened the scoring gates in the bottom of the first with home run by Gordon Beckham, a 2006 freshman All-American who hit 12 longballs a year ago and now has three in Georgia's first five games.
Three runs for the Bulldogs in the fourth inning and then again in the sixth inning jumped the UGA lead to 7-0. A two-spot in the seventh capped the scoring in Georgia's 11-hit attack.
Nathan Moreau (1-0) picked up the win against Purdue, limiting the Boilermakers to two hits over 7.0 innings. Iain Sebastian pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit. Georgia pitchers faced two hitters over the minimum in the shutout victory.
Spencer Ingaldson was the bright spot for the Boilermakers at the plate, putting up a 2-2 evening at the plate. The senior catcher had a sacrifice bunt in the first and then singles in the fourth and seventh innings.
Purdue (0-1) and Georgia (2-3) will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. The twinbill was set up when the teams' coaches decided to move Sunday's contest to Saturday due to storms that are forecast to hit Athens on Sunday afternoon.
Both games of Saturday's doubleheader can be heard on internet radio at purduesports.com.