March 24, 2012
Boxscores: Game One | Game Two >>> Game Day Central
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Thanks to a pair of early leads and quality starts from pitchers Joe Haase and Lance Breedlove, No. 24 Purdue baseball opened Big Ten Conference play with a doubleheader sweep at Ohio State Saturday afternoon, winning 8-5 and 8-1.The Boilermakers (16-3, 2-0 Big Ten) assured themselves of their first series win to open Big Ten play since 2008 and their first on the road since 1995. Purdue won both ends of a Big Ten doubleheader for the first time since April 2009 against Iowa at Lambert Field.
Breedlove went the distance in game two, striking out 10 in his first collegiate complete game. It was his second double-figure strikeout performance of the season. He did not surrender a run until OSU (11-10, 0-2 Big Ten) scored with two outs in the ninth inning. The performance was the first complete game by a Purdue pitcher since Haase went the distance in a shutout of Minnesota at Target Field last year.
Haase worked 6 1/3 innings in game one, surrendering three earned runs while matching his career high with seven strikeouts. Blake Mascarello closed out the win with a pair of scoreless innings, retiring five of the six batters he faced.
The Boilermakers turned four double plays on the day, including three in game two. Breedlove induced ground ball double plays after the OSU leadoff man reached safely in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings.
Purdue scored multiple runs in the first inning of both games. Barrett Serrato delivered a two-out, two-run double in game one and the Boilers sent nine men to the plate in game two thanks to a pair of singles, two walks and two hit batsmen.
Purdue broke open game one with a four-run seventh inning, scoring four or more runs in the sixth inning or later for the 10th time this year.
Kevin Plawecki finished the day 4-for-8 with three doubles, three RBIs and five runs scored. Angelo Cianfrocco had five RBIs on the day, including three in game two.
Game One Recap - Purdue 8, Ohio State 5
The Boilermakers collected nine of their 13 hits in the game with two outs in an inning, scoring six times with two outs. Three of the four runs that Purdue scored in the seventh inning to break open a one-run game crossed home plate with two outs.
Stephen Talbott and Tyler Spillner ignited the seventh-inning rally with consecutive singles to open the frame. After a sacrifice bunt by Eric Charles and an intentional walk to Cameron Perkins, Plawecki plated Talbott with a sac fly to center. Serrato, Cianfrocco and Andrew Dixon followed with three consecutive run-scoring singles.
Plawecki doubled to lead off the fourth inning and after taking third on a ground ball to the right side off the bat of Serrato, the Purdue catcher scored the go-ahead run when Cianforcco reached on an error by the OSU first baseman.
Perkins doubled home Charles in the fifth as the infielders extended the inning with consecutive two-out hits.
Haase was able to strand runners on second and third in the second inning thanks to back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. But he was not as fortunate in the following frame when OSU scored twice to tie game after consecutive singles from the top of the order to open the inning.
Haase did not have a 1-2-3 frame but he was able to limit the damage while surrendering 11 hits thanks in part to four inning-ending strikeouts. He fanned the final batter of a frame in four consecutive frames from the second through fifth.
Mascarello struck out the No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters in the OSU lineup in order, ending the bottom of the eighth with a K after inducing a 5-4-3 double play ball and opening the ninth with consecutive strikeouts.
Game Two Recap - Purdue 8, Ohio State 1
Breedlove only needed 104 pitches to finish his complete-game effort. He issued just one walk and that free pass came in the eighth inning with Purdue already leading 6-1. The Buckeyes had the first two batters of an inning reach safely in the fourth and eighth, but Breedlove induced a ground ball double play from the third batter of the frame on both occasions.
Breedlove tallied at least one strikeout in seven of the nine innings. All three outs in the ninth came via the strikeout. The senior worked true 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and seventh.
Meanwhile, the Boilers struck out only once at the plate in game two. And that K did not come until the final out of the top of the ninth inning.
Ohio State starter Brian King aided Purdue's three-run first-inning rally with four free passes, three coming with two outs. Charles and Perkins had already scored when Serrato restarted the rally with a base on balls. After a single from Cianfrocco, King hit both Ryan Bridges and David Miller with pitches to force in a third run.
The Boilermakers tacked on at least one insurance run after the leadoff man reached base safely in the third, fourth, seventh and ninth innings. Plawecki was hit by a pitch and scored on a double from Cianfrocco in the third. Spillner doubled and trotted home on a sac fly off the bat of Perkins in the fourth. Plawecki doubled and scored on a ground out to the right side off the bat of Cianfrocco in seventh. Plawecki later doubled home Perkins in the ninth.