March 10, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Losses can come in the hardest of ways, and the Purdue Boilermakers seem to be experiencing all of them after dropping a doubleheader on Monday to ninth-ranked Kentucky at Cliff Hagan Stadium, 6-1 and 4-3.
Purdue trailed 2-1 in the first game when a Wildcat grand slam broke the game open in the sixth inning. The big blast by Chris Wade off Chris Ivanic gave UK the win in the second game of the series.
In the nightcap Purdue was held hitless for seven innings and trailed 3-0 before two runs crosed the plate for the Boilermakers in the eighth inning. In the ninth Eric Nielsen launched a solo home run - the first homer for Purdue this season - to tie the game at 3-3. However, the Cats claimed the win in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off homer to center, handing Purdue a ninth consecutive loss to start the season.
Purdue produced 11 hits in Game One, but could not string many together to produced more than one run as the Boilermakers stranded nine runners on base in the game.
In his first start of the season, Tony Sedlmeyer (0-2) was hit with the loss after allowing two runs in 2.2 innings. Matt Jansen and Chris Ivanic each yielded two runs in relief.
Allan Donato surrendered three runs in 5.1 innings in the nightcap, before giving way to Kyle Cook in the sixth. Cook went 1.2 scoreless innings, followed by a scoreless eighth inning with Tristan McIntyre and Drew Wurdack on the mound. Josh Lindblom (0-2) entered in the ninth and yielded the game-winning homer, suffering his second loss in two days - both on game-winning hits in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Purdue travels to Athens, Ohio, for a four-game series agains the Ohio Bobcats beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The series can be heard online as well as on WSHY 1410 AM in the Lafayette area.