LINCOLN, Neb. -- Purdue baseball scored in five different frames, but a pair of big innings for the home team carried Nebraska past the Boilermakers, 9-6, Saturday afternoon in the opener of the Big Ten weekend series.
The teams combined for 24 hits, both reaching double figures. All of the Huskers' first 10 hits were singles, including four in the second inning when they scored four times. Nebraska (34-17, 9-10 Big Ten) had its leadoff man reach base safely in five of the first seven innings and that runner scored in all three frames in which the home team put up runs.
Kyle Johnson connected for a solo home run in the fourth inning en route to finishing as one of four Boilers with two hits. He has gone deep in each of the last four Big Ten weekends. Johnson came up again an inning later with the bases loaded and Purdue (15-34, 2-17 Big Ten) trailing 4-3, but struck out looking to end the threat.
Cody Strong had five productive plate appearances, finishing the day 2-for-3 with an RBI ground out, sac bunt, hit by pitch and a run scored. He singled to lead off the seventh inning and scored on a two-out single from Jack Picchiotti. That made it a 6-4 game but the Huskers scored three times in the bottom of the frame to blow the game open again. Picchiotti has driven in a run in each of the last four games.
Harry Shipley reached on infield singles in the first and fifth innings, coming around to score unearned runs in both frames. Nebraska entered the day leading the Big Ten with a .981 fielding percentage but committed three errors, two in the first inning.
Nebraska's Austin Darby reached base safely in each of his four plate appearances, connecting for a two-run homer to right field in the fifth inning. His leadoff walk ignited the four-run rally in the bottom of the second.
The Huskers sent eight men to the plate in the second inning and the first seven had productive plate appearances. Four singles and two sacrifice flies after the leadoff walk produced the extended rally.
Kyle Van Hoeck retired Nebraska's 1-2-3 hitters in order to record Purdue's only true 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth. But he hit a batter and issued a walk to begin the following frame and both runners came around to score.
Tanner Andrews registered the Boilers' only strikeout of the day, fanning Nebraska's leading hitter Ryan Boldt to end the seventh inning, and induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to erase a one-out single in the eighth. It was the 50th twin killing turned this year by Purdue.
Johnson has now reached base safely in 14 consecutive games for the second time this season. Strong extended his reached safely streak to 10 straight games. Alec Olund also had two hits, including a double in the eighth inning.
Game two of the series is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
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Impressive work by the @HaymarketPark grounds crew to get Hawks field ready for @Husker_Baseball and @PurdueBaseball. pic.twitter.com/Xtp0qDQA6h
- Zach Peterson (@MidwestDrummer) May 9, 2015