.@NickDeli12 Dalesandro & @AlecOlund1 discuss #Purdue's 15-inning walk-off win vs. Ohio today in Kokomo. #BoilerUp https://t.co/fUkMSF8YOf
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 19, 2016
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KOKOMO, Ind. -- Purdue baseball won the third-longest game in program history in unconventional fashion when Alec Olund delivered a walk-off bunt single with two outs in the 15th inning, lifting the Boilermakers past Ohio 5-4 Saturday afternoon at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
Kyle Wood's opposite-field solo home run to lead off the eighth inning tied the game after Purdue (4-11) trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the seventh.
On the mound, Matt Frawley and Alex Lyons teamed up for what amounted to a 10-inning shutout, keeping the Bobcats (8-10) off the scoreboard after the fifth inning. Frawley worked seven innings of one-run relief. Lyons escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning to keep the game tied.
Ohio's Jake Roehn retired the first two batters of the bottom of the 15th, but Nick Dalesandro kept the inning alive with a two-out single. Roehn (1-2) threw the ball away down the right field line on a failed pickoff attempt, allowing Dalesandro to move into third. The Bobcats opted to intentionally walk Daniel Sander, the fourth intentional walk over the course of the extra innings.
Olund realized the Ohio third baseman was playing back with two outs and laid down the bunt on the first pitch. He pushed it past a sprawling Roehn and no other Ohio infielder had an opportunity to make a play. Olund was mobbed by his teammates moments later.
Three errors by third baseman Jacson McGowan helped the Bobcats score three runs, but Purdue also cut down three runners at the plate. Cody Strong and Nick Dalesandro both threw out a runner at the plate on singles to left field. But the key out was in the 12th when Strong, having moved to second base, threw home in the nick of time for a force out at the plate with the bases loaded and one out.
Kyle Johnson finished with three hits, delivering the second of consecutive two-out RBI singles in the seventh inning. The first two Purdue batters of that frame were retired quickly, but a two-out walk to Harry Shipley and a base hit by Strong helped set the stage for the rally. Jack Picchiotti delivered a pinch-hit single to drive in the first run.
Shipley made a number of strong defensive plays at shortstop, the most significant being a diving stop up the middle to rob Rudy Rott of a likely two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning.
Lyons (1-1) was able to put up four zeros despite giving up four singles and four walks, two of the free passes being intentional. He erased a leadoff single in the top of the 14th by inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Frawley retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, working 1-2-3 innings in the sixth, eighth, 10th and 11th. Starter Mike Lutz retired the first seven batters he faced and did not allow an earned run while he was on the mound, giving way to Frawley after a leadoff single in the top of the fifth.
Ohio starter Jake Rudnicki threw 120 pitches over 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out nine. He was the first of seven OU pitchers to take the mound.
It was Purdue's walk-off win since February of last season against Sam Houston State in Corpus Christi, Texas. Olund scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning that day.
The rubber game of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Olund is mobbed by his @PurdueBaseball teammates. pic.twitter.com/Q6cr28zPAU
-- Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 19, 2016
A bomb by Kyle Wood in the 8th ties this thing up for @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/2VgmKXiJRi
-- Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 19, 2016
Dalesandro with a nice catch and @PurdueBaseball heads to the bottom of the 10th pic.twitter.com/9UjEtNWg0Y
-- Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 19, 2016
The @PurdueBaseball bench goes wild. pic.twitter.com/gHz3eBpg1A
-- Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 19, 2016