April 30, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Purdue baseball team outlasted rival Indiana 12-10 in the opener of a crucial three-game Big Ten series at Sembower Field on Friday.
The Boilers (25-16, 7-6 Big Ten) rapped out 13 hits and scored four runs on wild pitches and one on a balk to win their fifth conference series opener this season. IU dropped a third consecutive contest to fall to an even 20-20 for the year and a game behind Purdue in the league standings at 6-7.
The wild affair featured the Hooisers opening the game with six consecutive hits, including a leadoff home run from Michah Johnson and a two-run shot Michael Earley, and four runs to answer Purdue's lone run in the top of the first to jump out to a 4-1 edge.
The Boilermakers roared back with five runs on four hits, a wild pitch and a Drew Leininger balk in the top of the second to grab a 6-4 lead. Jon Moore narrowly missed a grand slam on deep sacrifice fly to left to open the scoring in the second stanza, Eric Charles added two more runs on double up the middle and Leininger uncorked one of his four wild pitches in the game to plate Tyler Spillner before balking home Charles.
Purdue extended the lead to 9-4 on back-to-back Leininger wild pitches that plated a walked Brad Schreiber and a doubling Payton Bieker, and a Charles RBI ground out.
The rivals exchanged a pair of runs in the fourth, with Boilers getting a two-run homer from Schreiber and the Hooisers scoring on an RBI triple off the bat of Johnson and a run-scoring single from Sterling Mack in the following at bat.
IU answered Kevin Plawecki's RBI single in the top of the sixth with Johnson's second solo home run of the game to make it 12-7 heading into the seventh.
The Hoosiers pulled within two in the seventh, rallying for three runs on a two-run homer from Josh Lyon and a fielder's choice grounder from Johnson, but reliever Matt Jansen, the fourth Boiler pitcher in the inning, got Jerrud Sabourin to line out to third with the tying run on base.
Jansen kept the potent IU offense at bay over the final two innings to earn his first save of the season and preserve Matt Bischoff's seventh win of the year. Jansen struck out two and walked one in 2 1/3 scoreless innings of work.
Bischoff (7-1), who was touched up for eight runs on 13 hits, gutted out a tough win and lasted until hitting Earley in seventh. The Boiler ace struck out six and did not issue a walk on a blustery day in Bloomington.
IU's Leininger (6-3) was charged with the loss after allowing 11 runs, 10 earned, on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.
Spillner led the Boilermakers at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Ryan Bridges added three hits and a pair of runs scored, while Charles and Schreiber chipped in with three and two RBIs, respectively.
IU's Johnson had an impressive day at the plate in the loss. The Hoosiers' third baseman went 4 for 6 with two homers, a triple, three RBIs and a three runs scored. The contest featured and number of outstanding defensive plays by Purdue, including a diving catch of a sinking liner by Moore in center, a diving snag of an attempted bunt at the plate by Plawecki and a big-league play by Cameron Perkins on a hot shot to third.
Purdue and Indiana will meet up for the second of three scheduled games on Saturday at 1 p.m. Left-hander Calvin Gunter is slated to make his first Big Ten start for the Boilermakers.