May 15, 2010
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Purdue baseball team was shutout for the first time this season to fall a game behind Minnesota for the lead in the Big Ten standings on Saturday. The 7-0 loss to Illinois dropped the Boilermakers (29-19) into a three-way tie with Michigan and Northwestern for second place at 11-9, a full game behind the 12-8 Golden Gophers with four contests remaining.
Illini starter Kevin Johnson (5-2) tossed a complete game, scattering six Purdue hits and working around three hit batters, two walks and an error, to blank one of the top offensive units in the Big Ten this season. The right-hander and his defense combined to strand 10 Purdue runners on base.
Offensively, Illinois plated five of its seven runs in the game with two outs recorded in an inning. The Illini scored a single run in the first and tacked on two more each in the third, fourth and sixth. UI outhit the Boilermakers 11 to 6 on the night, and recorded three doubles and triple to all singles for Purdue.
Leftfielder Tyler Spillner, who was mired in an 0 for 17 slump at the plate, provided a bright spot in an otherwise bleak night by going 3 for 5 and reaching base in four of his five at bats.
Purdue starter Calvin Gunter (1-1) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
The Boilermakers will vie for the three-game series win over the Illini and maintain pursuit of the league regular season title in the rubber game on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Right-hander Drew Wurdack is the scheduled starter for Purdue.