April 28, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue dominated Ohio State for much of Saturday's doubleheader, but a series of bloops, bouces and blunders cost the Boilermakers the sweep on Saturday afternoon at Lambert Field.
The Boilermakers (18-19, 8-10 Big Ten) won the first game 16-0 in the top offensive outing of the season for Purdue, then slipped in the seventh inning of the nightcap in a 3-2 defeat.
Matt Bischoff (2-0) pitched a complete-game shutout against OSU in his first career Big Ten start, striking out five against just four hits and no walks. In three starts this season, the freshman has not allowed a run in 23.0 innings, yielding only 10 hits while fanning 23.
Purdue's offense lit up OSU pitching the early game, scoring a season-best 16 runs on 18 hits.
The Boilermakers were led by Ryne White (4-for-5), Jeff Mojzik (2-for-2) and Andy Preston (3-for-4), as the Purdue 3-4-5 hitters combined for nine hits, seven runs and eight RBI. Eight of the nine Purdue starters picked up at least one hit, with six collecting multiple base hits.
Purdue grabbed the lead right away with a run in the first inning on Preston's two-out single up the middle, scoring White from second base. Two more runs scored in the third on Mojzik's safetly squeeze and an RBI single by John Cummins, giving Bischoff all the support he would need.
The support didn't stop, however, as the offense tacked on four runs in the fourth thanks to five hits and three OSU miscues. Mojzik's RBI single that scored White from third was the only official RBI of the inning, but errors led to runs scored by Kyle Reesing, Spencer Ingaldson and Mojzik.
Purdue's bats exploded for the second-biggest inning of the season as eight runs crossed the plate in the fifth inning, highlighted by a grand slam by White and a two-run home run by Eric Osborn. Alex Jaffee's RBI walk with the bases loaded forced home the first run of the inning, and White followed with a no-doubter deep over the right field wall. A Preston double brought up Osborn, who lined his first home run over the wall in left-center.
Drew Madia capped the scoring with his first collegiate home run, a pinch-hit blast to centerfield.
The 16-run victory by the Boilermakers marked the largest margin of victory for Purdue over Ohio State in series history, eclipsing the former high of nine in a 10-1 win on April 16, 1995, in West Lafayette. The 16 runs scored by Purdue were the second-most by a Boilermaker squad against OSU. The record for runs scored by a Purdue team agains the Buckeyes is 23 in Purdue's 23-17 win in Columbus on April 19, 1975.
In the nightcap, Ricky Heines (6-4) shut out the Buckeyes for six innings and Purdue held a 2-0 lead entering the seventh, but OSU scratched out three runs for the win.
The Boilermakers scored in the second inning on Jon Moore's double to left-center, scoring Osborn from first for a 1-0 Purdue lead. A second run was plated in the fifth inning when Mojzik tripled to right-center to drive in White from first.
In the seventh inning OSU's Justin Miller flared a single over the head of Cummins into left-center, Ryan Dew bounced a single through the right side of the infield and Tony Kennedy singled on a chopper in the infield at second base. With the bases loaded Cory Kovanda's chopper up the middle was misplayed, allowing two runs to score. Cory Rupert's sacrifice fly into right-center scored the winning run from third in Kennedy.
Purdue threatened in the bottom of the seventh with base hits by White and Mojzik, but a fielder's choice with two down forced Mojzik out at second to end the game.
White was 6-for-7 in the twinbill with five runs and four RBI while Mojzik cleaned up in the four-hole with a 5-for-6 afternoon, scoring two runs and driving in three.
Purdue and Ohio State comclude the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Lambert Field. The game will be broadcast on WLAS 1410 AM in the Lafayette area and on the internet at purduesports.com.