WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- An effective base-hit approach that produced 14 singles coupled with eight innings of one-run ball from its starting pitcher led No. 24 Iowa to a 9-1 win vs. Purdue baseball Friday evening at Alexander Field in the opener of the weekend series.
The Hawkeyes (19-7, 4-0 Big Ten) had at least one base runner in every inning while recording 15 hits and six walks. Iowa scored in five of the nine innings, making up for leaving 13 runners on base and a couple base running gaffes.
Tyler Peyton (4-2) struck out seven and limited the Boilers (10-19, 1-3 Big Ten) to seven singles over eight innings. He also batted third in the lineup and went 3-for-5 with a walk and a run scored. Nick Roscetti and Nick Day both had three hits as well as the eight and nine spots in the Iowa lineup were a combined 6-for-8 with five RBI. Roscetti's two-out, three-run double in the eighth inning blew the game open.
Shane Bryant (1-1) was moved up a day to the Friday starter after Mike Kornacker was sidelined by a minor injury. In his first Big Ten starter, Bryant gave up three runs (two earned) over four-plus innings. He limited the damage to one run in the first inning after Iowa had the base loaded with no outs. But his defense did him no favors in the two-run fourth, failing to capitalize on a pair of double play opportunities.
Brandon Krieg accounted for three of Purdue's seven hits. Kyle Johnson singled home the Boilers' lone run in the sixth inning to extend his reached base safely streak to 10 consecutive games.
Three consecutive one-out singles from Krieg, Kyle Wood and Johnson made it 4-1 Iowa and brought the potential tying run to the plate. But Jack Picchiotti hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Purdue later loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Peyton retired the 3-4-5 portion of the lineup in order without a run scoring.
Five of the nine strikeouts recorded by Iowa pitching came on a called third strike.
The Boilermakers used six pitchers on the night. Joe Eichmann escaped a bases-loaded jam to strand a pair of inherited runners in the sixth inning. Kyle Van Hoeck retired three of the four batters he faced over an inning and a third of relief, striking out the first and final batters he faced.
After already failing to turn a ground ball near the second base bag into a double play that would have erased a leadoff single, the key play of the top of the fourth proved to be a chopper to Wood at first base. At the time, Iowa had runners on first and second along with a 1-0 lead. Wood threw the ball into left field and instead of a potential inning-ending 3-6-3 or 3-6-1 double play, a run scored on the play. Day followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate another run.
Iowa's Taylor Kaufman delivered a two-out single to right field with runners on first and second in the fifth inning. Alec Olund threw to second base and caught the trail runner on a wide turn around the bag for the third out of the inning before the run scored.
In the top of the first, Peyton hit a fly ball over Olund's head that landed on the warning track, but it went for a long single after Eric Toole was held at third base. The two trailing runners both over ran their bases by a wide margin but Purdue had no play on either, especially Peyton at first, due to infielders shifting to setup for a cutoff throw.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans are invited to bring their dogs to Alexander Field for the annual Bark at the Park game. The first 100 fans will receive a free Purdue leash.