March 17, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Purdue baseball team could not overcome an early 11-1 deficit on Saturday, falling 11-7 to the Samford Bulldogs at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The loss dropped the Boilermakers to 6-7 on the season and 2-5 during their Spring Break trip to Alabama.
A four-run third and a four-run fourth inning for the Bulldogs gave Samford the cushion they would need to even the weekend series as the Boilermakers struggled to score.
Purdue out-hit the Bulldogs 15-10 but stranded 12 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth.
Trailing 11-1 after five innings, the Boilermakers scored a run in the sixth inning on doubles by Dan Black and Eric Nielsen and then closed the gap with a five-run eighth inning.
In the eighth, Eric Osborn doubled to left-center to drive in two runs and was followed by a two-run home run by Kyle Reesing, his second homer of the weekend. An RBI single by Ryne White closed the deficit to four, but a strikeout ended the inning with the bases loaded to end the comeback.
Ricky Heines (2-2) was hit with the loss, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing 11 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits. The senior walked four and struckout three.
Purdue has registered double-digit hits in its last five games, but has surrendered double-digit runs in four of the last six. During the Boilermakers' Spring Break trip they have stranded 72 runners on base in seven games.
Purdue and Samford conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Eastern) at Joe Lee Griffin Field in a game that will be broadcast on the internet at purduesports.com.