March 22, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team finally had the opportunity to play at home and took full advantage of playing on Lambert Field, shutting out the Western Illinois Leathernecks in two games on Saturday, 6-0 and 8-0.
Four Purdue pitchers combined on the two shutouts, limiting WIU to just eight hits while striking out 12 batters in 18 innings. Allan Donata, Josh Lindblom, Kyle Cook and Chris Ivanic teamed up for Purdue's first shutouts since blanking the Ohio State Buckeyes 16-0 at Lambert on April 28 of last season.
The shutouts improved the Purdue team earned-run average to 3.17, the best in the Big Ten Conference by more than 1.5 runs.
The Boilermakers (4-11) scored twice in the second, sixth and eighth innings in Game One of Saturday's doubleheader and rode the arms of Donato (1-3) and Lindblom to the 6-0 win.
Nick Overmyer's two-run single through the right side of the infield to drive home Drew Madia and Jon Moore with the game's first runs and a 2-0 Purdue lead.
Brandon Haveman led off the Boilermaker sixth with a solo home run to right, his first long ball of the season. A Jordan Comadena double and an RBI single by Dan Black upped the Purdue advantage to 4-0.
In the eighth, a wild pitch allowed Brandon Haveman to score from third base after singling, stealing second and moving to third on a groundout. Black picked up a second RBI when his single drove home Ryne White, who reached on a hit-by-pitch and then swiped second.
Donato went 7.0 innings on the hill in the start and allowed four hits while striking out five. In his seven innings on the hill, Donato allowed just two baserunners to reach second base. Lindblom pitched the final two innings, retiring the six batters he faced in order - two by strikeout.
The Boilermakers struck immediately in Game Two as Haveman led off the first inning with a double down the left field line, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ben Wolgamot.
In the third inning, Wolgamot singled through the infield with one down and came around to score from first base on a double to left off the bat of White, giving the Boilermakers a 2-0 lead.
The Boilermakers struck for three in the fifth inning to move to a 5-0 lead. Black's two-run single plated Comadena and White, and then Black scored when Moore singled to left and the ball was misplayed by WIU left fielder Jared Wolf.
A three-spot in the eighth capped the game's scoring for Purdue. An RBI grounder by Overmyer, a run-scoring double by Wolgamot and an RBI groundout by White drove home the sixth, seventh and eighth runs of the game for the Boilermakers.
Cook (2-0) picked up the win in his first collegiate start on the mound, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two hits, three walks and striking out two. Ivanic pitched the final 4.0 innings to record his first career save. Ivanic struck out three Leatherneck batters while yielding two hits and one walk.
In the second game the Boilermakers collected a season-high 14 hits, with eight of the starting nine batters picking up at least one base hit in the contest.
Purdue out-hit WIU in the two games by a combined 25-8. The Boilermakers had six doubles - two by Comadena - and one home run on the afternoon, while the Leathernecks were held without an extra-base hit.
Purdue and Western Illinois return to Lambert Field on Easter Sunday for two games beginning at noon. The Boilermakers have now defeated the Leathernecks in four straight meetings dating back to last season. The Sunday twinbill will be broadcast on WSHY 1410 AM in the Lafayette area and online through purduesports.com.