MUNCIE, Ind. -- Home runs from Kyle Wood and Kyle Johnson staked Purdue baseball to an early 7-0 lead, but Ball State responded with nine unanswered runs and defeated the Boilermakers 9-8 Tuesday afternoon.
Purdue (4-13) fell to 1-3 in one-run affairs and 2-5 in games decided by two runs or less after scoring just one additional tally following Johnson's grand slam in the second inning. The wind was gusting out towards center field all afternoon, setting the stage for a game that featured a combined nine extra-base hits, including four home runs.
Wood homered for the third game in a row and seventh time in his last 10 games, connecting for a three-run shot to left field after an error extended the first inning. It was his Big Ten-leading seventh long ball of the season and 21st career.
Johnson hit his second grand slam of the season and fifth home run overall. He also drove in the Boilermakers' final run of the day with a two-out single in the sixth inning. It was his second game of the season with at least five RBI.
Wood was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning for the 41st time as a Boilermaker, eclipsing Kevin Plawecki's Purdue all-time record. Wood would reach again as the tying run with a one-out single in the ninth inning, but Ball State (12-10) closed out the win with a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
The Cardinals tied the game with a five-run third inning, sending nine men to the plate. Back-to-back home runs from Caleb Stayton and Jarett Rindfleisch started the rally after Tanner Schumacher struck out the first batter of the frame. Johnson later lost a fly ball in the sun in center field and it fell for a single to load the bases. After an RBI single and another strikeout, Alex Call delivered a two-run double to left center. The Cardinals nearly took the lead, but Johnson and Harry Shipley teamed up for a relay sequence to cut down a runner at home trying to score from first base. It was the sixth runner Purdue has thrown out at the plate over the last four games.
Adam Dressler pitched well in relief, working four innings of two-run ball in his longest outing since 2014. But the two runs he allowed came in his first inning of work, allowing Ball State to take a 9-7 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Again it was Stayton and Rindfleisch with consecutive extra-base hits, a double and triple leading to the two runs.
Dressler (0-1) went on to retire 13 of the final 15 batters he faced, including nine in a row from the fifth through eighth innings. During that stretch a strike `em out, throw `em out double play via a peg from catcher James Jewell helped Dressler erase a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth.
Purdue scored all seven runs against Ball State starter Matt Haro, who had only allowed seven runs in 19 innings this season entering the day. But after getting three scoreless innings from both Zach Plesac and BJ Butler, the Cardinals' bullpen surrendered just one run over seven innings. Plesac (1-1) and Butler both struck out three of the 10 batters they faced.
Alec Olund and Shipley both reached base safely via free passes to begin the top of the sixth but the Boilermakers scored just the one run, it coming on Johnson's two-out single. Purdue left runners on the corners an inning later.
The Boilermakers return to action Wednesday when they host No. 7 Louisville for the 6 p.m. home opener at Alexander Field. The game is scheduled to be televised live by the Big Ten Network.