April 2, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team (13-10, 1-0 Big Ten) opened Big Ten Conference play in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind 3-2 win in 10 innings against visiting Minnesota (9-17, 0-1 Big Ten) at Lambert Field on Friday.
After Joe Haase and Calvin Gunter teamed up to blank the Gophers in the top of the 10th, the Purdue offense scrapped across the game-winning run in the home half of the frame.
Freshman Kevin Plawecki, who hit his second homer of the season earlier in the game, reached on a fielding error by shortstop AJ Pettersen to ignite the extra-inning rally. Senior Drew Madia followed with a four-pitch walk from Minnesota reliever Billy Soule to force Plawecki to second and into scoring position.
Freshman Cameron Perkins ended the contest in the ensuing at bat with double to the gap in right-center off of Soule, plating Plawecki in the process and sending the Boilermakers into a team celebration at the plate.
Trailing 2-1 with two outs in the ninth, the Boilers tied the game on a bases-loaded infield single by Tyler Spillner off of Gophers' closer Scott Matyas to force the game into extra innings.
Freshman pinch hitter Brad Schreiber drew a one-out walk in the ninth to start the game-tying rally, and was replaced by classmate Stephen Talbott at first.
After senior Nick Overmyer singled to center to place runners on first and second, Matyas retired Ryan Bridges on strikes for the second out in the inning.
Matyas plunked pinch-hitting freshman Angel Cianfrocco in the follwoing at bat to the load the bases and pave the way for Spillner.
The Boilermakers' leadoff hitter chopped a grounder down the third base line that UM's Kyle Gleason fielded cleanly, but was too deep behind the bag to make a play anywhere on the diamond. The hit plated Talbott from third and tied the game at 2-2.
The contest featured outstanding pitching performances by both starters with neither factoring in the decision.
Purdue's Matt Bischoff struck out 10, walked none and allowed just two runs on six hits over nine innings, while Minnesota's Seth Rosin allowed just one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings. The Gophers' right-hander struck out four and walked none.
Minnesota opened the scoring in the top of the first on a two-out solo home run by Michael Kvasnicka and added another in the third on a Kvasnicka double to make it 2-0 Gophers.
Plawecki's solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fourth was the final run for either team before the late Boilermaker fireworks.
Gunter (1-0), who replaced Haase on the mound in the 10th after Minnesota's Kyle Geason hit a one-out single, worked around a walk with an inning-ending double play off the bat Troy Larson to pick up his first win in a Purdue uniform.
UM's Soule (1-3) was charged with the loss after allowing in the game-winning run in the 10th.
Purdue and Minnesota will meet up for game two of the three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Left-hander Matt Jansen is the scheduled starter for Purdue.