WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Rutgers lefthander Howie Brey limited Purdue baseball to one run on three hits over seven innings and the Boilermakers gave away two unearned runs on untimely errors, as the middle game of the weekend series went the way of the visitors, 4-1, Saturday afternoon at Alexander Field.
Despite recording multiple hits in an inning just once on the day, the Boilermakers (9-12, 1-1 Big Ten) did have numerous men on base over the second half of the game. But Purdue stranded eight runners on the day, including the base loaded in the seventh inning while facing a 3-1 deficit.
Brey (1-3) threw 125 pitches while striking out five, walking two and hitting three batters over seven innings of one-run ball. The final out he recorded was ultimately the most significant. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Brett Carlson put together a lengthy at-bat against the southpaw but eventually grounded out to third base.
A single, walk and an error, all with two outs, in the top of the eighth inning allowed the Scarlet Knights (4-14, 1-1 Big Ten) to tack on a key insurance run. The Boilermakers were unable to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the final two frames.
After making a number of nice defensive plays to keep hits on the infield as well as handling a 6-3 double play on his own, Purdue shortstop Harry Shipley committed the two-out error in the eighth inning that allowed the run to score. It was the first defensive miscue for the freshman since Feb. 21, ending his streak of consecutive games without an error at 14.
Rutgers scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning on a throwing error by catcher Jack Picchiotti coupled with a poorly handled rundown. After a leadoff single from the hot-hitting Tom Marcinczyk, cleanup hitter Vinny Zarrillo executed a sacrifice bunt. Zarrillo would have been safe at first regardless, but Marcinczyk was able to score on the play when Picchiotti's throw sailed down the right field line and Purdue lost track of him while a rundown developed as Zarrillo found himself in no-man's land between first and second.
The Boilermakers scored their only run of the day thanks in part to Zarrillo losing Kyle Johnson's fly ball to left field in the sun in the bottom of the fourth inning. It dropped for a double and Kyle Wood followed with an RBI single through the right side.
Wood was one of three Boilermakers to reach base safely twice in the game. Ted Snidanko walked and was hit by a pitch and Shipley was plunked twice, both with two outs in an inning. However, Purdue had its leadoff man reach base safely only twice in the nine innings.
Three straight one-out hits and a sacrifice fly led to two runs for Rutgers in the top of the fifth and the rally proved to be the difference in the game. Tim McElroy replaced starter Brett Haan (1-4) with runners on second and third. The lefthander retired the first seven batters he faced, but did allow an inherited runner to score on the sac fly.
Rutgers put the ball in play throughout the game. Two of the three strikeouts for Purdue pitching were recorded by Matt Gibbs in the ninth inning.
The rubber game of the series is set for noon Sunday. The Boilermakers will be looking to win a rubber game in consecutive weekends after snapping their 10-game losing skid in weekend rubber games last Sunday.