April 17, 2011
Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2 >>> Series Stats
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Purdue baseball scored in each of the first four innings of the nightcap of a doubleheader at Penn State Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 15-4 rubber-game victory and in the process winning two-of-three in the Big Ten Conference series. The Nittany Lions won game one Sunday, 4-3.The Boilermakers (24-12, 5-4 Big Ten) pounded out 17 hits in game two, blowing the game open with a six-run third inning. Each of the first six hitters in the lineup had multiple hits in game two. The 3-4-5 portion of the lineup - Cameron Perkins, Kevin Plawecki and Barrett Serrato - was a combined 9-for-18 with nine RBIs and eight runs scored in the victory.
Perkins extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 consecutive games with an infield single in game one and a three-hit effort in the nightcap.
Purdue managed just four hits in the game one loss. The Boilermakers drew 10 walks but left nine runners on base. After trailing for the first six innings, Purdue tied the game with two runs in the seventh. But Penn State (21-12, 5-4 Big Ten) plated the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the frame and pitched over a walk in each of the final two innings.
Plawecki recorded four hits, including two doubles, in game two to finish the day 5-for-9 with four RBIs. Barrett Serrato registered a career-high four RBIs in game two. David Miller walked five times on the day, drawing a bases-loaded free pass in both games. He finished the series 4-for-9 with four RBIs.
Joe Haase (4-1) earned the victory in game two by allowing just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings. He was able to pitch over five walks thanks in part to a great diving stop by Plawecki at first base with two aboard and two outs in the first inning.
Brad Schreiber kept his team in the game in the morning affair, surrendering just two hits over 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball. But he also issued five walks. Blake Mascarello (1-4) once again got some big outs with the bases loaded, but an infield single to open the seventh inning eventually led to the game-deciding run.
Sean Collins, Pat Gannon and Lance Breedlove teamed up for 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief in game two. Breedlove struck out four of the nine batters he faced.
The Boilermakers posted their fourth consecutive series victory against Penn State and have now won 11 of the last 14 meetings dating back to 2008. Purdue returns to action Wednesday for an 8 p.m. (EDT) midweek game at Illinois-Chicago.
Game Two Recap
Five consecutive Purdue batters reached base safely with one out in the third inning, all five eventually scoring. Eric Charles ignited the rally a walk and the Boilers caught a break when the wind wrecked havoc on a fly ball to right field off the bat of Perkins that landed safely for a double. Plawecki followed with an opposite-field double into the right field corner, giving Purdue a 4-1 advantage.
After Plawecki took third on a wild pitch, Serrato hit a ground ball to second base with a draw in infield. The throw home was high, allowing Plawecki to roll in safely after PSU catcher Alex Farkes dropped the ball while trying to apply the tag. Stephen Talbott followed with an RBI triple to the deepest part of the park in left center that chased starter Greg Welsh (1-1). David Blount drove in the final run of the inning with a single through the right side.
Plawecki made just his second start of the season at first base and made the key defensive play of the game. With Haase laboring after walking back-to-back PSU batters with two outs, Plawecki dove to his right and snared a hot shot of the bat of Farkes. Haase covered the bag effectively and the diving stop saved a pair of runs, keeping the game tied. Purdue went ahead on a two-out double from Miller in the top of the second and never looked back.
The Boilermakers extended the lead with three consecutive hits from Charles, Perkins and Plawecki in the fourth. Charles and Perkins traded places on back-to-back doubles and Plawecki followed with the second of his four straight hits.
Serrato tripled home Plawecki and Miller drew his based-loaded walk in the sixth inning. Serrato came up an inning later and singled home Perkins and Plawecki to cap his four-RBI effort.
Game One Recap
Penn State held the lead for the first six innings after Sean Deegan led off the game with a home run to right center. It was the only long ball of the day even though the wind was consistently gusting out to left center. The Nittany Lions would score again on a bases-loaded balk by Schreiber, who was able to able to limit the damage by retiring the next two batters with runners on second and third.
Purdue managed just one hit, Perkins' infield single in the third inning, off PSU starter John Walter. With Penn State leading 3-1 entering the top of the seventh, Walter issued his eighth walk to begin the inning, giving Miller first base for the third time. Talbott greeted reliever Jesse Alfreno with a base hit to left.
Tyler Spillner attempted to sacrifice both runners up a base and got the bunt down, but Alfreno's momentum while fielding the bunt took him towards third base where PSU was able to get the force out on the lead runner. Charles followed with a single into left field to load the bases. Purdue tied the game on Plawecki's clutch two-out single up the middle after Perkins had plated Talbott with a sacrifice fly.
With the first pitch he threw, Mascarello induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. But a slow chopper up the first base line off the Blake Lynd allowed the leadoff man to reach in the seventh. Purdue first baseman Sean McHugh fielded the ball but bobbled it as he was setting up to apply the tag on the speedy Lynd streaking down the line. Lynd dove into first base safely.
Mascarello struck out Deegan looking but Luis Montesinos followed with an infield single deep in the hole between third and shortstop. Big Ten RBI leader Jordan Steranka gave his team the lead moments later with a base hit through the right side.