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DECATUR, Ga. -- Purdue baseball scored four unanswered runs over the final three innings, taking its first lead of the day in the top of the ninth on Nick Dalesandro's two-run double in a 5-3 victory at Georgia State on Sunday afternoon.
After racking up 13 hits and eight free passes, the Boilermakers (1-2) had at least one base runner in every inning. But they squandered a number of early scoring opportunities and found themselves down 3-1 with two outs in the seventh inning. A two-out run in both the seventh and eighth allowed Purdue to tie the game and it won the game despite stranding 15 men on base.
The Boilermakers loaded the bases without hitting the ball out of the infield to begin the ninth inning. At that point in the game, the No. 8 hole in the Purdue lineup had been the only one yet to reach base safely. Dalesandro changed that with his double to right center. It was the freshman's first at-bat of the game and his first collegiate hit.
Tanner Schumacher (1-1) retired all 12 batters he faced over four innings of relief, earning his first win as a Boilermaker. He teamed up with starter Gavin Downs (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) to not allow a free pass in the game. The two right-handers combined to throw only 86 pitches.
Check out @NickDeli12's go-ahead 2-run double & @AlecOlund1 scoring tying run on a wild pitch in 5-3 comeback win. https://t.co/uaCTZYOsYH
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) February 21, 2016
One day after going 0-for-10 with two outs, Purdue collected eight two-out hits in Sunday's win. Jacson McGowan and Kyle Johnson each recorded a two-out RBI. Harry Shipley also singled with two outs and a runner at second base, but Alec Olund was thrown out at the plate to end the top of the fourth.
Jack Picchiotti (3-for-4), Johnson, McGowan and Olund all finished with multiple hits. Olund scored the game-tying run on a passed ball with two outs in the eighth inning after doubling with one out.
Mike Kornacker led off the top of the ninth with an infield single in his first at-bat of the game. Picchiotti followed with his second bunt single of the day, pushing the ball past the pitcher and towards second base while looking to execute a sacrifice bunt. Johnson also bunted and was safe when he collided with the GSU second baseman as the two players and the throw from the pitcher arrived at first base simultaneously. Dalesandro delivered the big double two batters later.
McGowan's two-out single in the seventh inning ended a streak of eight consecutive hitters in which the ball was not put in play by Purdue. Picchiotti followed with another base hit and Johnson smacked a pitch past the third base bag for an RBI double.
Schumacher and Downs teamed up for six 1-2-3 innings. Georgia State (1-2) executed well when it did having scoring chances, using a sac bunt coupled with a sac fly to score runs in the second and fifth innings.
The Boilermakers return to action Friday when they open a three-game series at No. 9 California. First pitch in Berkeley is set for 10 p.m. ET.