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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue baseball committed a season-high four errors and the five unearned runs that scored as a result of defensive miscues were the difference in Nebraska's 11-6 series-clinching victory Saturday afternoon at Alexander Field.
Sunday's series finale has been moved up an hour to a noon first pitch.
The game opened with a pair of errors at third base, helping the Huskers (15-7, 2-0 B1G) take an early 2-0 lead. After being down 4-0, the Boilermakers (4-16, 0-2 B1G) nearly plated the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth. But Nebraska blew it open with seven runs over the final two innings. Purdue has not held the lead at any point in any of its first three home games of the season this week.
Nick Dalesandro recoded a pair of two-out RBI singles and threw out three Nebraska base stealers while making his third start of the season behind the plate. He tried to score from first base on Brett Carlson's two-out RBI double in the sixth inning, but the freshman was thrown out at the plate after running through what appeared to be a late stop sign at third.
Kyle Wood doubled in his first at-bat, recording an extra-base hit for the eighth consecutive game. He reached base safely three times on the day after later singling and getting hit by a pitch. Kyle Johnson had two hits for the second day in a row. He and Cody Strong both have nine-game reached base safely streaks after Strong came through with a two-out, two-run single in his final at bat. Jack Picchiotti's team-long 12-game reached safely streak ended Saturday when he struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.
In his first start of the season, Matt Frawley didn't give up a hit that left the infield until the fourth inning. But the errors, infield singles and free passes had already given the Huskers seven base runners by that point. Only one of the four runs Frawley (1-1) allowed over six innings was earned. A passed ball in the top of the fourth allowed a pair of runners to advance and helped set the stage for Ryan Boldt's two-run single.
Harry Shipley threw out Jake Schleppenbach at the plate to end the second inning as the Nebraska infielder tried to score from second on an infield hit behind the second base bag. It marked the eighth runner Purdue has cut down at the plate over the last seven games. The Boilermakers had another opportunity to throw out a runner at home with the infield drawn in and one out in the eighth inning, but Strong's throw was in the dirt and Dalesandro couldn't apply the tag before the runner got his foot on the plate.
Dalesandro's two-out RBI singles plated Johnson in the fourth and sixth innings. Those were the only frames in which Purdue had multiple base runners against Jake McSteen (2-0), who was very efficient with his pitches over six innings of three-run ball. The lefty did not issue a walk. Chad Luensmann backed him by retiring all six batters he faced over two perfect innings of relief.
The Boilermakers sent eight men to the plate and scored three times in the bottom of the ninth but had already fallen behind 11-3 at that point. James Jewell and Strong delivered the run-scoring hits after free passes to Wood, Carlson and Hayden Grant loaded the bases.
The Easter Sunday series finale is set for a noon first pitch at Alexander Field.
