BERKELEY, Calif. -- Nick Dalesandro surrendered just four hits in a quality outing on the mound, but Purdue baseball was shut out for the second day in a row in a 4-0 loss at No. 10 Cal on Saturday evening.
The Boilermakers (1-4) had at least one base runner in each of the first seven innings, but were unable to advance a runner past second base. Purdue has been shut out in consecutive games for the first time since dropping both games of a March 2008 doubleheader vs. Ohio (in Chillicothe, Ohio) in 3-0 fashion.
Dalesandro batted sixth in the lineup while starting on the mound. He surrendered two runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. The second run he was charged with scored after he left the mound in the sixth inning. The freshman became the first Boilermaker since Kyle Wood in April 2014 to bat in the lineup on the same day in which he was the starting pitcher.
Dalesandro (0-2) has given up just eight hits over 10 1/3 innings in his first two starts this year, good for a .200 batting average against.
Cal starter Ryan Mason (1-0) didn't have a 1-2-3 inning but used the strikeout effectively over seven scoreless innings. He fanned 10, including six his first time through the Purdue lineup. Mason ended a frame with a strikeout four times and also erased a one-out bunt single by Cody Strong in the top of the third thanks to an inning-ending 6-3 double play.
The Boilermakers struck out 14 times in the loss, matching their most in a game since the series opener at Michigan last season. Purdue has had a double-figure strikeout total in each of the first five games this year. The Boilermakers also had a streak of five straight double-figure strikeout games at the plate early last year, going 1-4 in that stretch as well.
Jack Picchiotti accounted for two of Purdue's six hits and has earned his way on base safely in 11 of his 20 plate appearances this season. Brett Carlson drew a leadoff walk in the fifth inning, the only free pass issued by Mason, and singled in his next trip to the plate.
Cal (4-2) connected for a pair of solo home runs and has now gone deep five times in the series. Six of the Golden Bears' nine hits went for extra bases, with doubles in the sixth and eighth innings helping plate insurance runs.
Dalesandro and Strong made the top defensive plays of the game for the Boilermakers. Dalesandro snared a hot shot comebacker with a runner on second base in the second inning. Strong made a nice running catch on a pop up in foul territory down the right field line to end the bottom of the eighth.
The series finale is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.