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KOKOMO, Ind. -- Ohio sent nine men to the plate in the first inning, scoring four times before Purdue baseball even came to the plate to take the rubber game of the series 9-2 Sunday afternoon at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
Kyle Wood's home run to right field to lead off the seventh inning was one of the Boilermakers' few highlights. He went deep for the second day in a row and sixth time in the last nine games. It was his 20th career home run, becoming just the 16th player in program history to reach the benchmark.
Purdue (4-12) had a done a decent job of avoiding big innings over the first month of the season, surrendering four-plus runs in an inning only twice. But an infield hit, two walks and a pair of RBI doubles helped the Bobcats (9-10) break open Sunday's game early. Tanner Schumacher (1-3) was able to retire the first batter of the game, but it was the only out he would record in his first start as a Boilermaker. The loss marked the sixth time in 16 games in which Purdue's starting pitcher failed to make it through at least the third inning.
The big hit of the four-run first was a bases-loaded double into the right field corner by Rudy Rott. But it was an infield hit to third base that seemed to give Ohio the early momentum. Mitch Longo was safe on a close play at first after Mike Kornacker had to wait back on an in-between hop near the third base bag. John Adryan followed with the first of two doubles down the right field line in the frame.
Ohio starter Connor Sitz found a groove early, retiring 16 of the first 18 batters he faced, including 12 in a row from the first through fifth innings. The right-hander entered the day having issued 13 walks over 14 innings while also surrendering just three hits. SItz was able to command the strike zone Sunday and remained stingy with the hits he allowed. He did not issue a walk over seven innings of two-run ball, two of the five hits he surrendered being of the infield variety.
As we get ready for the home opener at Alexander, check out some highlights of the Ohio series via @MTCSportsNet. https://t.co/Qh5wtfDhpv
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 23, 2016
Nick Dalesandro was the only Boilermaker to reach base safely twice, beating out an infield single in the fifth inning to end Sitz's streak of 12 in a row retired and reaching on an error after Wood's home run.
Brian Ghiselli entered the game with the bases loaded and gave up a two-run double to the first batter he faced, but regrouped and went on to work a career-high four innings of one-run ball. He retired seven consecutive batters at one point after working back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Kyle Van Hoeck surrendered just one hit while facing 10 batters as the first Boilermaker out of the bullpen. Gavin Downs struck out the first two batters he faced to strand a pair of inherited runners in the seventh inning. Eddie De LaRiva worked a hitless top of the ninth.
Kyle Johnson and Harry Shipley teamed up on a relay sequence to cut down a runner at the plate trying to score from first on Anthony Mrolsa's two-run double in the third inning. It marked the fifth runner the Boilermakers threw out at the plate in the series.
Wood homered in consecutive games for the second time this season and fourth time in his career. Saturday, the senior was hit by a pitch for the 40th time to tie Kevin Plawecki's all-time Purdue record. Jack Picchiotti singled in his first at-bat Sunday to extend his reached base safely streak to nine consecutive games. But Alec Olund's seven-game hitting streak came to an end.
The Boilermakers return to action Tuesday as they open midweek play with a 3 p.m. game at Ball State. The home opener at Alexander Field is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m. vs. Louisville.