March 22, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Limited to one run on three hits through the first seven innings, Purdue baseball lost to Illinois State Tuesday afternoon, 5-4, suffering its first loss to a nonconference opponent in its home opener at Lambert Field since 1996.
Illinois State (14-6) scored once in the sixth inning and three times in seventh to break open a tie game. The Boilermakers (13-7) got back in it with a three-run eighth inning but the 3-4-5 portion of the lineup went 1-2-3 against ISU reliever Matt Werderitch in the ninth.
While handing Purdue only its third loss in a home opener during head coach Doug Schreiber's 13-year tenure, the Redbirds also kept the home team winless in the midweek series since 2008.
Illinois State starting pitcher JD Learnard (2-1) pitched into the eighth inning, limiting the Boilers to four runs on six hits. He hit five batters on the day but only one ended up scoring.
A slow start at the plate and an inabililty to capitalize on its seven free passes led to Schreiber calling out his team after the game for "one of the most lackluster efforts in a home opener" that he could remember.
Stephen Talbott and Tyler Spillner finally came through with two-out, run-scoring hits in the eighth inning. After Andrew Dixon was hit by a pitch for the second time to load the bases, Talbott singled to left on a full-count pitch to drive in a pair and extend his hitting streak to nine consecutive games. Spillner followed with an opposite field base hit to left to make it a one-run game and chase Learnard.
But Werderitch was able to get Eric Charles to ground out to second base to end the rally and the ISU right-hander went on to retire all four batters he faced while closing out the game.
Purdue did not hold the lead at some point for only the second time in its first 20 games this year. The Boilermakers have been hit by a pitch 49 times in their first 20 games.
Purdue had at least one base runner in each of the first four innings, but stranded seven during that stretch and 10 in the game total. Learnard got on a roll beginning in the fourth, retiring 13 of 15 Boilermakers until Barrett Serrato ignited the three-run rally with a one-out hit in the eighth. Only an error on ISU second baseman Kevin Tokarski kept Learnard from putting together three consecutive 1-2-3 innings.
Purdue used five pitchers in the game, Pat Gannon and Lance Breedlove both working 2 2/3 innings. Sean Collins (1-2) got a big out in the fifth inning when he struck out Tokarski, the first man he faced and a preseason All-American, with the potential go-ahead run on third base. But a pair of singles led to a run for the Redbirds in the sixth inning. The go-ahead score crossed home plate when David Miller threw low to first base while trying to turn a 4-6-3 double play that would have ended the frame.
Illinois State recorded a leadoff hit four times over five innings in the middle of the game. That base runner ended up scoring three times.
Purdue tied the game in the third inning when Cameron Perkins led off with a base hit and scored on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Ryan Bridges. Perkins moved into second when Kevin Plawecki was hit by a pitch and took third on a fly ball to right from Serrato.
The Boilermakers return to action Wednesday when they host Wabash at 4 p.m. Calvin Gunter is expected to start on the mound for Purdue.