May 8, 2012
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Six of the nine hitters in No. 14 Purdue baseball's starting lineup recorded an RBI, leading the Boilermakers to an 11-4 win against IPFW at Minor League Baseball stadium Parkview Field Tuesday evening.Purdue (36-9) posted its 15th consecutive win in true midweek action dating back to March 2011. The Boilermakers can tie the school record for victories for the second year in a row Wednesday when they host Illinois-Chicago in the opener of the final homestand in the history of Lambert Field.
Purdue scored multiple runs in four innings, highlighted by three-run rallies in the third and fifth. Kevin Plawecki was hit by a pitch to begin the third inning. The junior's 39th career hit by pitch tied the program's all-time record. It marked the second game in a row in which a Boiler has tied a career benchmark.
Pat Gannon (1-0) worked 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, retiring eight of the 10 batters he faced to earn the victory. He entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the third inning, limiting the damage by allowing only one inherited runner to score. The lefty retired the final six batters he faced after giving up a leadoff single in the fourth inning.
Offensively, David Miller led the way with two hits, two RBI, a walk and a sacrifice bunt. Barrett Serrato and Ryan Bridges each registered a pair of hits and scored twice. Andrew Dixon and Cameron Perkins had two RBI apiece. Fort Wayne native Tyler Spillner reached base safely four times in six plate appearances, singling twice and walking twice.
The Boilermakers received five productive plate appearances from the No. 8 hole in the lineup. Patrick Coghlan pinch hit for Miller in the ninth inning and singled to begin the inning.
Mike Gaglianese retired six of the first seven batters he faced in his first college start. He struck out four over 2 1/3 innings but gave way to the bullpen after IPFW loaded the bases with a leadoff single and two walks in the third.
Miller singled home a pair of runs in the third inning. Purdue also received RBI hits from Serrato, Perkins and Spillner. Sacrifice flies from Dixon and Perkins also drove in runs and Eric Charles and Bennett Oliver drew bases-loaded walks.
Andrew Quinnette and Joe Eichmann each worked two innings of one-run relief to help close out the win. Quinette struck out three of the nine batters he faced. The run against him scored after a fly ball dropped between Dixon and Spillner in left center field with a man on second. The run against Eichmann was unearned. The freshman worked a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.
Chris Antonelli singled as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and later walked and scored in the ninth, a frame in which the first five batters of the inning reached base safely.
Wednesday's game against UIC is slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch.