March 17, 2012
Boxscores: Game One | Game Two >>> Series Stats | Spring Break Stats
WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State limited No. 24 Purdue baseball to five runs over 18 innings of doubleheader action, defeating the Boilermakers in both games of the twinbill, 8-2 and 5-3, Saturday afternoon on the final day of their spring break trip.Purdue (14-3) had its 10-game win streak snapped in the game one loss. The Boilermakers finished their eight-game spring break trip with a 6-2 record. They dropped both games of a doubleheader for the first time since May 2010 at Iowa.
Purdue led game two 3-2 with two outs in the sixth inning but WSU (12-10) took the lead for good on a two-run bloop single into right field. Kevin Hall hit the first pitch closer Nick Wittgren threw in between Barrett Serrato and Eric Charles in short right field.
The Boilermakers never led in game one after the Shockers hit a pair of first-inning home runs.
Angelo Cianfrocco connected for a solo home run in the third inning of game one, his first long ball in over a year and fifth career.
Kevin Plawecki drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning of game two with a two-out double. He was the first batter that reliever A.J. Ladwig faced. The freshman did not give up another hit over the rest of his 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief. Ladwig (2-1) worked three consecutive 1-2-3 innings from the sixth through eighth.
Game One Recap - Wichita State 8, Purdue 2
The Shockers' Johnny Coy and Casey Gillaspie hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead.
Trailing 4-1, Purdue brought the potential tying run to the plate in the fifth and seventh innings. Wichita starter Josh Smith recovered after issuing back-to-back walks to Cianfrocco and David Miller in the fifth, retiring Stephen Talbott and Tyler Spillner to end the threat.
Sean McHugh led off the seventh inning with a double and the Boilers had runners on the corners with one out after Miller was hit by a pitch. But WSU relief pitcher Foster Vielock struck out Talbott, and Miller was called out while stealing second base after the home plate umpire ruled Talbott interfered with the catcher's ability to throw to second.
Wichita State blew the game open with a pair of runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. Three of the four tallies were unearned.
Purdue starter Lance Breedlove (2-2) worked six innings of four-run ball. He struck out five but walked three after issuing just one base on balls in his first 22 innings this season.
Smith (3-1) struck out six while limiting the Boilers to one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Game Two Recap - Wichita State 5, Purdue 3
Purdue scored a run in each of the first two innings after the leadoff man reached base safely in both frames. Spillner singled on the first pitch of the game and scored when McHugh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Boilermakers left the bases loaded however.
Miller doubled to center to begin the top of the second, the first of his two doubles in the nightcap. Spillner knocked him with a line drive sacrifice fly to left.
The Boilermakers caught a break in the fifth inning. Wichita State appeared to have scored the tying run on an infield single with the bases loaded, but the umpires ruled the ground ball to first base hit Coy before going off the glove of a diving Plawecki.
Plawecki made a nice defensive play an inning later when he snared a grounder to first with the bases loaded and cut down the lead runner at the plate. That kept Purdue in front until Hall delivered the game-changing hit moments later.
The Boilermakers brought the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth inning against WSU closer Cale Elam after a one-hit base hit from Andrew Dixon. But a ground ball double play ended the game.
Blake Mascarello (4-1) suffered the loss after giving up two hits and a walk to allow the Shockers to load the bases in the sixth inning. Starter Calvin Gunter surrendered one earned run over 4 2/3 innings. He issued four walks, including two-out walks in the second and third innings that helped WSU score in each frame to tie the game.
Cameron Perkins saw his 11-game hit streak end in game two. Talbott's nine-game streak was snapped in game one. Miller finished the series a team-best 7-for-14 and did not strikeout in 18 total plate appearances.
Purdue returns to action Friday when it opens Big Ten Conference play at Ohio State. The Boilermakers have not played the Buckeyes since 2009. The opener of the three-game series in Columbus is slated for 5 p.m. Friday.