March 6, 2011
Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2 >>> Series Stats
Game One Photo Gallery (by Don Claussen)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Purdue baseball never trailed after scoring early and often and played solid defense behind some quality starting pitching, completing a three-game series sweep of Lipscomb with a doubleheader sweep, 10-3 and 10-6, Sunday afternoon.
The Boilermakers have scored first in each of their first 10 games this season. Their 8-2 record represents the program's best 10-game start since the 1993 team also opened with an 8-2 mark.
Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber won his 350th career game as the leader of the program in game one.
The Boilermakers committed only one error in the 18 innings of action Sunday even though the twinbill was played in temperatures in the 40s. Lipscomb (6-6) made nine errors Sunday.
Cameron Perkins extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games dating back to last season with a hit in his first at-bat of both games. He had three hits and three RBIs in the nightcap and finished the series 5-for-15 with a team-best four RBIs.
David Miller enjoyed a productive day as the starting shortstop, finishing the doubleheader 4-for-6 with a home run, four walks and four runs scored. He reached base safely in each of his five plate appearances of game one.
The Boilers' game one starter Lance Breedlove took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He earned his first Purdue win with 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball. Blake Mascarello backed him up and closed out the victory with a 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out four.
Brad Schreiber went five innings in game two, matching his career high with seven strikeouts. He didn't give up a run until the fifth inning. Nick Wittgren closed out the nightcap with three innings of one-run relief to earn his second save of the year.
Purdue returns to action Tuesday for its midweek opener at No. 25 Louisville. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
Game One Recap
The Boilermakers blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning and were ahead 8-0 before the Bisons finally got on the board. But it was Kevin Plawecki and Miller that gave Purdue an early lead. Plawecki came through with a two-out single in the first inning after Perkins reached on an infield hit and stole second. Miller went deep to right field with two outs in the second, connecting for his first homer as a Boiler and the fifth longball of the year for Purdue.
Nine Boilermakers came to the plate in the fourth, beginning with a leadoff double off the right fence from Angelo Cianfrocco. Lipscomb committed four errors in the inning, the first allowing Barrett Serrato to reach and putting runners on the corners. Miller singled home Cianfrocco and Stephen Talbott was a safe on a bunt single. The throw to first attempting to retire Talbott went down the right field line, allowing Serrato to score. Eric Charles doubled home another run later in the inning.
Breedlove retired the first eight Lipscomb batters of the game in order, issuing only two walks through the first five innings. A single to center broke up his no-hit bid to begin the sixth inning. After giving up two more singles and issuing a walk, he gave way to Mascarello. A passed ball allowed a run to score but the lefty retired the first two batters he faced to end the inning.
Mascarello gave up leadoff doubles in both the seventh and eighth innings but pitched over both extra-base hits without allowing the runners to score. He struck out three of the first six hitters he faced.
Game Two Recap
Andrew Dixon got the start in center field and batted leadoff in the nightcap, finishing the game 3-for-5 with four runs scored. He reached safely and scored a run in the first, fifth and seventh innings. The Boilermakers put their leadoff man aboard in six of the nine innings.
Perkins singled home Dixon in the first inning and drove in two more with another base hit in the top of the second. The first five hitters reached safely in the second inning, with Charles, Perkins and Serrato delivering run-scoring hits.
Schreiber was not as sharp as he was in his first two starts of the season but still managed to keep Lipscomb off the scoreboard until the fifth. He pitched over a leadoff single in the first inning and consecutive walks in the second. A leadoff walk and four consecutive hits helped the Bisons get back into the game with a four-run fifth inning. But he was able to close out the inning and qualify for the win.
With Purdue leading 9-5 in the seventh, Wittgren got the first batter he faced, Lipscomb cleanup hitter Tennyson Dodd, to hit into a `1-6-3 double play, eliminating a leadoff single.
The Boilermakers tacked on insurance runs thanks to a two-out double from pinch hitter Ryan Bridges in the seventh and a leadoff walk, sac bunt and passed ball in the eighth. Tyler Spillner scored in the eighth thanks in part to tagging up and taking third on a fly ball out to center field.