COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Gavin Downs worked eight innings of one-run ball in the longest outing of the season by a Purdue pitcher and his catcher James Jewell homered as part of a three-hit effort, leading the Boilermakers to a 7-1 series-opening win at Maryland on Friday afternoon.
Purdue (7-28, 2-11 B1G) won for the third time in the last four games and snapped an 11-game losing streak in true road games.
Kyle Johnson and Jewell both hit solo home runs. The Boilermakers scored six unanswered runs beginning with a three-run top of the third. Brett Carlson delivered a two-run bases-loaded single for the big hit of the rally.
Downs shined against Maryland (19-18, 5-5 B1G) for the second year in a row. He worked three 1-2-3 innings and induced 12 ground ball outs. Three of his four strikeouts came against the Terrapins' No. 2 hitter, Kevin Smith. Three of the seven hits he allowed were of the infield variety and UMD scored its only run thanks to some aggressive base running from Marty Costes, who scampered home from second on a two-out infield hit to second base in the bottom of the second.
Downs issued his only walk in the eighth inning, escaping a bases-loaded jam in that frame to finish his outing. Tanner Andrews struck out a pair in the ninth inning.
Home runs by Johnson & Jewell, Carlson's 2-run single & 3 of Downs' 4 Ks headline today's highlights from 7-1 win. https://t.co/NzWRqbZqC5
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 22, 2016
Jewell homered for the second time in the last four games to cap a 3-for-4 effort, recording his first three-hit game as a Boilermaker. He went deep in the top of the eighth after previously starting the three-run third inning with a leadoff single and delivering an RBI double the following frame.
Johnson homered to straight away center field as the second batter of the game, hitting his sixth long ball of the season but first since March 22.
Every batter in the Purdue lineup reached base safely at least once. Kyle Wood did so four times, getting hit by a pitch twice to push his Big Ten-leading total to 12. He also recorded his team-leading 10th double.
Carlson came through with the two-run single into left center with the bases loaded in the third inning. After the ball was initially thrown away towards the Maryland dugout, the Terps recovered to cut down Wood at the plate on the second half of the extended sequence. Carlson took third on the play and was able to score on Nick Dalesandro's subsequent infield single.
Jewell doubled home Picchiotti after a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt in the top of the fourth. Cody Strong came through with a two-out infield single with the bases loaded to drive in another run the following frame.
James @Jewell0325 & @Davin_Gowns discuss #Purdue's 7-1 series-opening win at Maryland today. #BoilerUp https://t.co/i1pyaBDu4A
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 22, 2016
Downs retired 13 of 15 batters from the third through seventh innings. Overall, the Terps didn't have more than one base runner aboard at the same time until a two-out error kept the bottom of the seventh alive.
Maryland had to bump up its scheduled Saturday starter, Brian Shaffer (4-3), to Friday after Taylor Bloom suffered an injury in practice this week. The Terps used five pitchers Friday after Shaffer was unable to make it through the fourth inning. Preseason All-American Mike Shawaryn goes on Saturday for UMD and Sunday's starter is TBA for now.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.