March 30, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Nine posted an 8-6 win over the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday at Lambert Field, giving the Boilermakers a three-games-to-one series win in the first weekend of the Big Ten Conference schedule.
Jon Moore paced the Purdue offense with a 3-for-3 afternoon at the plate, scoring one run and driving in three while walking twice. Brandon Haveman and John Cummins added two hits each while Northwestern pitching walked 10 batters to aid in the Boilermaker effort.
Purdue used five pitchers in the win with Chris Ivanic picking up his first career victory in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen. John Lindblom pitched the final two innings to record his third save of 2008.
Purdue scored a single run in the second inning to take the an initial 1-0 lead on an RBI bunt single by Moore. Moore's base hit drove home Dan Black after Black doubled to left and moved to third on a single by Eric Nielsen.
The Boilermakers got a little breathing room in the third inning with a four-run frame. Nick Overmyer opened the inning with a single and was followed by a base hit by Brandon Haveman. Ben Wolgamot advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Northwestern opted to load the bases by issuing an intentional free pass to Ryne White. Jordan Comadena's single through the left side of the infield made the Wildcats pay, driving in two runs. Black was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting up two easy RBI for the Boilermakers. With the bases full, Nielsen and Moore were issued back-to-back walks to force home White and Comadena with the third and fourth runs of the inning.
Northwestern cut the Purdue advantage with a three-run fourth inning, but the Boilermakers answered with two runs in the home half of the fifth inning to make the score 7-3.
Black led off the fifth inning with a walk and moved to second on Moore's single to left. John Cummins lofted a single down the right field line that drove home Black and moved Moore to third. After a Cummins steal of second and a walk to Haveman, Wolgamot became the third Boilermakers to pick up an easy RBI by walking with the bases loaded.
The Wildcats scored twice in the sixth inning to draw to within two, but the Boilermakers plated a single run in the bottom of the sixth to put the pressure back on Northwestern. The Purdue sixth started with a walk to Comadena, who then swiped second base. With Comadena on the move towards third, Moore singled to through the left side of the infield to drive in Comadena for an 8-5 advantage.
Northwestern challenged in the seventh with a single run, but Andy Loomis and Lindblom came out of the bull pen to close the door, recording the final nine outs of the game to secure the win and the series for Purdue.
The series win for the Boilermakers marked the first Big Ten series win by Purdue since taking three of four games from Indiana in Week Three of the 2007 season.
The Boilermakers travel to Louisville on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. contest against the Cardinals, a participant in the 2007 College World Series. The game will be broadcast on WSHY 1410 AM in the Lafayette area and via the web at purduesports.com.