May 26, 2011
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Michigan State scored six times in the first two innings before a two-hour rain delay, defeating Purdue baseball 7-1 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament Thursday afternoon at Huntington Park.The Boilermakers (37-19) drop to the loser's bracket but do not have to play until 3:30 p.m. on Friday. They could matchup with Minnesota or Ohio State. The Spartans (35-19) take on Illinois Friday at 7 p.m. in the winner's bracket final.
Eric Charles homered for Purdue to leadoff the third inning, connecting for his third home run of the season. The Boilermakers had two runners aboard in each of the first two innings but could not come through with a big hit against MSU starter Kurt Wunderlich (10-2), who was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Tuesday.
Wunderlich threw 50 pitches before the rain delay but returned to the mound and worked five more scoreless innings. Purdue did not have a runner advance past second base after the rain delay. Wunderlich struck out five and walked three in his eight innings of six-hit ball.
All but one batter in the Spartans' lineup collected at least one hit, producing 13 as a team. Torsten Boss delivered a run-scoring hit in each of his two at-bats, though his second-inning double was a blooper into right center after a strong gust of wind knocked down the deep fly ball. It landed in no man's land and plated the final tally of MSU's four-run rally.
Brandon Eckerle and Ryan Jones, the first two hitters in the Spartans' lineup, reached base safely in each of their first two plate appearances. They both scored in the first and second innings. Michigan State was able to score four of its seven runs from second base on singles.
Cameron Perkins reached base safely in each of his four plate appearances, extending his reached safely streak to 62 consecutive game dating back to last season. He singled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch.
Charles walked and Perkins was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the first inning. Kevin Plawecki and Barrett Serrato both hit it hard into center field but Eckerle was able to make the catch on both fly balls. An inning later, Tyler Spillner and Andrew Dixon recorded back-to-back singles to begin the frame. After a sacrifice bunt by Payton Bieker, Wunderlich escaped the jam by striking out Stephen Talbott and getting David Miller to pop out.
Mike Sudbury pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the 6-7-8 portion of the MSU lineup after the game resumed in the bottom of the third. Dixon led off the top of the fourth with an opposite-field single into left center but was thrown out at second by Eckerle while trying to stretch it into a double.
Lance Breedlove also pitched well in relief, working 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Breedlove (three) and Sudbury (two) accounted for all five Purdue strikeouts.
Talbott made the defensive play of the game when he made a leaping catch at the wall in left field to rob Ryan Jones of extra bases in the sixth inning.
Four of Purdue's 19 losses (21 percent) this season have come at the hands of Michigan State.
Joe Haase is expected to start on the mound Friday for the Boilers.