March 6, 2010
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Purdue baseball had an 8-0 advantage evaporate as Southern Illinois outscored the Boilermakers 13-4 over the final five innings in a 13-12 loss to the Salukis at Abe Martin Stadium on Saturday.
The defeat evened the three-game series with SIU at a one win apiece and dropped the Boilermakers to 1-5 on the year. The Salukis improved to 3-6 with the walk-off victory.
The Boilermakers, who scored two runs in the first and second, three in the third and one in the fifth to lead 8-0 after four and half innings, saw the Sulakis rally for a single run in the fifth, sixth in the sixth, one in the seven and four in the eighth to take a 12-9 lead heading into the final frame.
Boilermaker right fielder Barret Arthur tied the contest on a three-run homer in the top of the ninth, his first collegiate home run, but SIU answered right back with a single up the middle from Tony Lapore to lead off the home half of the inning and start the Salukis' second come-from-behind rally of the afternoon.
A sacrifice bunt Michael Stalter advanced Lapore to second, and wild pitch from Purdue reliever Joe Haase on an attempted intentional walk to Chris Serritella pushed Lapore to third.
With the intentional free pass erased on Haase's errant pitchout, the Boilermakers went after the Serritella who delivered a walk-off single down the right field line to plate the game-winning run with one out. Lapore finished the game 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
The ninth-inning rally made a winner out of SIU closer Bryant George. The Saluki right-hander improved to 2-0 on the year despite allowing three runs on Arthur's game-tying homer in the ninth.
Haase (0-1), making his season debut for the Boilermakers, was charged with the loss. The right-hander allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits in an inning of work.
Freshman Kevin Plawecki continued his torrid collegiate start, finishing the game 3 for 5 with his third double of the year, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored for the Boilermakers in the loss. Tyler Spillner and Eric Charles each added two RBIs for Purdue.
SIU pinch hitter/defensive replacement Blake Pinnon drove in three runs and finished 2 for 2 with a double after entering the game in the six-run sixth.
Purdue and Southern Illinois will determine the series victor in the rubber game scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. Left-hander Matt Jansen is the scheduled starter for the Boilermakers.