NORMAN, Okla. -- Purdue baseball scored four times in the first inning for the third time this season and rode the early lead to a 6-3 victory at Oklahoma Friday evening.
Kyle Wood reached base safely in all five of his five plate appearances, finishing a triple shy of the cycle on a night in which he was 3-for-3 with four RBI and two walks. He delivered a three-run double in the top of the first and connected for a solo home run to right center in the third. It was his first homer of the season and team-best ninth career. His four-RBI effort was the most by a Boiler this year and one shy of his career high.
Matt Gibbs walked in a run in the bottom of the ninth, but then struck out the Sooners' No. 3 hitter with the bases loaded and the potential tying run at first base to close out the victory. Mike Kornacker (1-1) earned his first collegiate win with 5 1/3 innings of three-hit ball. The only run he allowed scored after he left the game in the bottom of the sixth. The freshman struck out the final batter he faced after OU (10-6) had runners at second and third with no outs.
Purdue (5-7) used four bunts in the first inning to help score the four runs. Cody Strong and Brandon Krieg both bunted for singles, and the Sooners' pitcher and defense looked very uncomfortable defending the small-ball approach. Wood ripped a 2-0 pitch into the right field corner to clear the bases. Moments later, he slid in safely at third base as Brett Carlson reached safely on a sacrifice bunt that pitcher Jake Elliott had to field on the move again. Jack Picchiotti later executed a squeeze bunt to plate the final run of the inning.
Watch Gibbs' Game-Ending Strikeout as well as Kornacker & Wood Discuss the Win
Elliott (2-1) struck out 10 over six innings, but the Boilers recorded six runs on nine hits against the 6-foot-7 righthander. He had surrendered only three earned runs on 11 hits over 18 2/3 innings this season entering the night.
Michael Vilardo recorded his second three-hit game of the season, opening the game with a line drive single to left field on the first pitch of the night. He also doubled off the wall in the fourth inning and the extra-base hit led to Harry Shipley scoring on an RBI ground out from Strong. Shipley had a pair of hits against Elliott, including a bunt single.
Tim McElroy was one out away from closing out the win, but finally gave way to Gibbs after giving up three walks and a single in the bottom of the ninth. The lefthander had retired eight of the 11 batters he faced entering frame, highlighted by outs against OU's No. 3 and 4 hitters after taking over for Kornacker with runners on second and third in the sixth.
All three walks Kornacker issued were of the leadoff variety, but Picchiotti eliminated the runners in the first and fifth innings. He threw out OU leadoff man Craig Aikin trying to steal second base in the bottom of the first and caught Kolbey Carpenter in no-man's land between first and second on a pitch in the dirt in the fifth.
Kornacker retired seven consecutive batters from the second through fourth innings thanks to a 1-2-3 bottom third vs. OU's 8-9-1 hitters.
McElroy issued a leadoff walk to begin the ninth but retired the next two batters. Two more free passes loaded the bases before Aikin's bloop single to center field brought the potential tying run to the plate. The junior struck out three in his second-longest outing (3 1/3 innings) as a Boilermaker. Gibbs earned his second career save.
Doug Schreiber enjoyed a victory in his 900th career game as the head coach of the Boilermakers.
Oklahoma scored 22 runs Tuesday in a midweek win at home against Arkansas-Little Rock.
Game two of the series is set for 6 p.m. ET Saturday.