May 6, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Purdue Nine booted an opportunity to draw to within one-half game of sixth place in the Big Ten standings as the Boilermakers fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions at Medlar Field 7-3 on Sunday.
Puurdue (19-23, 9-14 Big Ten) owned a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning when two fielding errors led to four runs and the eventual defeat. The loss cost the Boilermakers a chance at a split in the weekend series.
The Boilermakers scored twice in the first inning on John Cummins' two-out, two-run single and added a third run in the fifth inning on a double by Spencer Ingaldson and an RBI single by Ryne White.
PSU eliminated Purdue's initial 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the second and then took the lead for good in the sixth with four runs. An insurance run in the eighth inning iced the win for the Lions.
In the crucial sixth inning, Purdue misplayed a grounder with a runner on first but still had a chance to escape the inning when the following Lion batter bunted hard back to the mound on a sacrifice attempt. Boilermaker pitcher Matt Jansen (0-3) dropped an attempt at the lead runner at third and then fired a throw over the head of Kyle Reesing covering first, allowing the floodgates to open. Two more singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly plated the rest of the runs in the inning, giving Penn State the lead - a lead it would not relinquish.
Purdue travels to Oxford, Ohio, for a 3 p.m. game against Miami University on Tuesday, and then returns home for a Wednesday game against Indiana State before next weekend's conference series against Iowa.