April 18, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team got a big boost from starter Matt Jansen and made good use of three Penn State errors to pull off a come-from-behind 4-3 victory at Lambert Field on Sunday. The one-run win handed Purdue its first league series sweep since taking all four games against Minnesota in 2008 and improved the Boilers to 20-14 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play.
Trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, the Boilermakers rallied for a pair of runs off of a bases-loaded error to steal the game and the series.
Tyler Spillner led off the frame with a single off of PSU reliever David Lutz and scooted to third on an Eric Charles double down the right field line in the following at bat.
Lutz appeared to be working his way out of the jam by getting pinch hitter David Blount to ground to third and retiring Drew Madia on strikes for the first two outs.
An intentional walk to Payton Bieker loaded the bases for pinch hitter Brad Schreiber. The freshman hit a sharp grounder right at PSU third baseman Jordan Steranka, who misplayed the ball off of his glove to allow both Spillner and Charles to score and hand Purdue a 4-3 edge.
Reliever Drew Wurdack, who came on in the the seventh and worked out of a bases loaded jam, tossed a perfect ninth inning to seal the victory and the series weep. Wurdack (4-2) earned his fourth win of the season by tossing 2 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen. He struck out four and walked just one.
Purdue opened the scoring in the well-pitched contest in the fourth on a pair of PSU fielding miscues for a 1-0 lead.
Bieker reached after PSU first baseman Joey DeBernardis dropped a throw from second baseman Elliot Searer and then raced around the bases to score after right fielder Mario Eramo dropped a Cameron Perkins fly ball later in the inning.
The Lions tied the game in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI double by Steranka, and took a 3-1 lead in the seventh on a two-run single by Searer.
A Jon Moore infield hit in the bottom of the seventh plated Perkins from third to cut the PSU lead to one and pave the way for the come-from-behind rally in the eighth.
Meanwhile, Jansen, who was out of the starting rotation last weekend at Michigan, kept the game close for the offense to finally come around. The left-hander allowed just three runs on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out seven and walked five in a no-decision effort.
PSU starter Mike Wanamaker pitched very well despite not earning a decision. The right-hander allowed just two runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. He struck out five and walked none.
Lutz (1-3) was charged with the hard-luck loss after allowing in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth on the error.
Purdue will return to nonconference action on Tuesday when it heads to Chicago for a single game against Chicago State. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.