March 23, 2013
Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2 >>> Series Stats
Photo Galleries: Doubleheader (By Andy Jessop) | Weekend Series (By David Wegiel, Jr.)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue baseball's offensive struggles from Friday carried over into doubleheader action Saturday, recording just three runs on seven hits over the course of the two games en route to suffering a pair of losses at the hands of Ohio State at Alexander Field.The Buckeyes (15-6, 3-0 Big Ten) won Saturday by the scores of 8-3 and 7-0 to sweep the inaugural weekend series at the Boilers' new home ballpark. The road team was won each of the last five Purdue-OSU series dating back to 2007. Ohio State also swept the Boilers in West Lafayette in 2009, marking the last time Purdue (7-14. 0-3 Big Ten) was swept in a home series.
The Boilermakers' starting pitching kept them in both games Saturday, but run support was nonexistent. Purdue (7-14, 0-3 Big Ten) batted just .144 as team in the series while scoring only four runs in 27 innings.
Robert Ramer (2-2) and Brian King (4-2) squared off in a pitcher's duel in game two of the twinbill. Both pitchers surrendered only one hit through the first four innings. But back-to-back singles with a wild pitch in between allowed OSU to score the game's first run in the top of the fifth. The Buckeyes blew the game open with six runs in the final two frames.
Ohio State pounded out 30 hits in the doubleheader and only one went for extra bases. But the visiting team's base-hit approach worked well on a day in which the wind was blowing in from center field. The Buckeyes also fouled off a high number of pitches, especially in the first few innings of game one against starter Jordan Minch (2-3). The freshman lefty threw 47 pitches in the first inning while surrendering two runs on five consecutive singles.
Three walks in the fourth inning of game one led to the Boilers' first run of the day on a Kyle Johnson RBI fielder's choice with the bases loaded. Sacrifice flies from Sean McHugh and Johnson later plated runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but OSU had already gone ahead 8-1 after scoring twice against the Purdue bullpen in the top of the seventh.
Minch struck out six over five-plus innings. Each of his six strikeouts came against a different batter.
Ramer worked three 1-2-3 frames in his eight innings of three-run ball. He did not issue a walk while striking out three. The Buckeyes recorded four of their nine hits against him with four consecutive singles in the eighth inning.
Meanwhile, King also did not issue a walk while fanning eight over eight innings of three-hit ball. He retired the first 10 Purdue batters of game two in order and worked five 1-2-3 frames.
After singling to lead off the seventh inning of game one, Jake Hansen went 0-for-3 in the nightcap to end his 13-game streak of reaching base safely at least once.
The Boilermakers return to action Wednesday when they host IPFW at 6 p.m.