April 8, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The temperature at Kobs Field didn't get much above freezing, and the Purdue bats felt the chill as the Boilermakers fell to Michigan State in the series opener 3-2.
Purdue managed eight hits, five coming with two outs and no runners on base. In nine innings, the Boilermakers put the leadoff batter on base just once - in the one-run fifth inning.
While the Boilermaker hitters struggled to put an offensive charge tagether, the defense and pitching were generous to the point of handing two runs over on miscues - one on an error and one on a wild pitch.
Purdue (12-11, 2-3 Big Ten) scored first with a run in the second inning on an RBI single by Alex Jaffee. Jon Moore singled with two outs, stolen second base and moved to third on a throwing error by the MSU catcher. On the next pitch, Jaffee grounded a ball up the middle to give Purdue a 1-0 lead.
MSU tied the game in the home half of the inning on a throwing error during an attempted turn of a double play. With one down and runners on first and second, MSU's Eli Boike hit a grounder to short, but the turn attempt at second was thrown away, allowing Chris Roberts to score from second.
The Spartans grabbed the lead in the third when Dennis Jones scored from third on a wild pitch by Purdue starter Josh Lindblom. Another run in the fourth, coming on back-to-back two-out doubles, upped the MSU advantage to 3-1.
The Boilermakers responded in the fifth with a run on Spencer Ingaldson's ninth double of the season, scoring Jaffee from third base. However, Purdue would fail to tie the game while stranding four runners on base over the final three innings, including one on second base in the eighth.
Lindblom (2-4) was saddled with the loss, going 6.2 innings and allowing 10 hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out three.
The win went to Craig Brookes, who improved to 3-1 on the season.
Purdue and Michigan State will play two games on Monday in the last day of the shortened series. The twinbill begins at noon and will be broadcast on WLAS 1410 AM in the Lafayette area and on the web at purduesports.com.