April 9, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Boilermakers scored three runs in the seventh inning to post a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Illinois State Redbirds at Lambert Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The win draws Purdue to 14-14 on the season, the first time the Boilermakers have been at .500 this season. After opening the season with a nine-game losing streak and a 2-11 record through Spring Break, the Boilermakers have rolled off 12 wins in their last 15 games.
The Purdue bullpen continued to shine on Wednesday, allowing one run and four hits over 8.0 innings of relief. In the last five games, the Boilermaker pen has yielded just four runs in 26.2 innings - a 1.35 ERA - while striking out 32 batters and limiting opposing batters to a .149 average.
Drew Wurdack picked up the win in relief, his first collegiate victory, and Josh Lindblom recorded his sixth save of the season - his fifth save in his last six outings.
Purdue's comeback victory was completed in the seventh inning when Dan Black hit into an RBI fielder's choice, driving in Ben Wolgamot with the winning run. Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh, Purdue scored its first run in the inning when Brandon Haveman tripled to left field to score Eric Nielsen, and then tied the game at 4-4 when Haveman was awarded home on a balk. Purdue loaded the bases with one out when Black's grounder drove home the winning run.
Illinois State scored three times in the first inning to grab the initial lead, but Purdue responded with two runs in the home half of the first.
Three straight walks to Haveman, Wolgamot and Ryne White loaded the bases in the first, and Haveman scored from third on a doubleplay ball. Black popped a single into left-center to score Wolgamot from third with Purdue's second run.
A single run by the Redbirds in the fourth was Illinois State's final run, setting up Purdue's comeback.
Black's two RBI give him a team-leading 31 on the season, tying him for the Big Ten lead with Michigan's Nate Recknagel. Haveman crossed the plate twice for his team-leading 29th and 30th run scored, the second-most in the Big Ten behind Indiana's Andrew Means (32).
Purdue remains at home for this weekend's Big Ten series against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The series begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 11.