March 1, 2010
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Purdue baseball team rapped out 18 hits and scored 14 runs but couldn't compensate for seven errors and 19 West Virginia hits in a 18-14 loss to the Mountaineers at Jack Russell Stadium on Monday.
Trailing 3-0 heading in the third, West Virginia (2-5) exploded for eight runs on seven hits and a pair of Purdue (0-4) defensive miscues to jump out to a five-run lead.
The two schools spent the rest of the contest trading runs, with WVU's lead reaching as high as 10 and Purdue pulling as close as four, but eventually the Boilermakers ran out of time and outs in the four-run loss.
Combined the two schools teamed up for 32 runs, 37 hits and eight errors in the game. All nine West Virginia starters and eight of nine for Purdue finished with at least one hit in the game.
Individually for the Boilermakers, outfielder Tyler Spillner continued his torrid start to the season finishing Monday's contest 3 for 4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Payton Bieker, who entered the game as a pinch hitter and eventually moved behind the plate defensively, went 3 for 3, while shortstop Barrett Serrato finished 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
Designated hitter Brad Schreiber paired hits in the loss, and Jon Moore and Eric Charles each drove in a pair of runs.
West Virginia's Jedd Gyorko led all players by going 4 for 5 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Seventeen of WVU's 19 hits in the game were singles.
West Virginia starter Jonathan Jones (1-1) lasted long enough to earn his first win of the season on the mound. The left-hander allowed seven runs on 10 hits in five innings of work. He struck out two and walked five.
Closer Chris Enourato picked up the save after he ended the game with the tying run on deck in the ninth.
Purdue's Drew Wurdack (0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing eight runs, six earned, one nine hits in three innings.
Purdue will next head to Carbondale, Ill., this weekend for a three-game series against South Illinois. First pitch for the opener on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m.