Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2 /// Series Stats
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Purdue baseball carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the 12th inning of the nightcap, but Penn State rallied for a walk-off win to sweep Saturday's doubleheader and the three-game series.
The Nittany Lions (15-12, 4-2 B1G) won 7-2 and 7-6 in 12 innings, improving to 9-1 at home this season. The Boilermakers (4-20, 0-6 B1G) suffered their first-ever series sweep at the hands of PSU. Purdue lost in walk-off fashion for the second time this year, both defeats coming after it took a two-run lead into what could have been the game's final frame.
Brett Carlson delivered a two-out, two-run single in the 12th inning to break a 4-4 tie, capping a three-hit, three-RBI effort. Tanner Andrews gave the Boilermakers a chance to win with seven innings of two-hit scoreless relief.
But Penn State strung together four hits in the bottom of the 12th, winning the game on Alex Malinsky's two-run double. It was Malinsky's first at-bat of the series. James Coates scored the game-winning run from first base on the hit to left center after it got past both outfielders.
Carlson came through with his go-ahead single against PSU closer Jack Anderson (2-1) in the 12th after a pair of PSU errors set up the rally. The Boilermakers had hit into an inning-ending double play and run into an out at the plate on a failed squeeze bunt with Anderson on the mound in two of the three preceding innings.
Andrews worked a trio of 1-2-3 innings while matching the longest outing of his collegiate career. It was yet another successful long relief appearance by a Purdue pitcher this season after Eddie De LaRiva also gave the Boilermakers 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief in game one.
Andrews put up six consecutive zeroes and retired 10 straight batters from the eighth through 11th innings. He recorded timely strikeouts in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, fanning the first batter to come to the plate after a PSU runner reached at least second base with only one out.
Game one starter Matt Frawley (1-2) issued six walks over 4 1/3 innings in game, surrendering more earned runs (six) than he had in 28 1/3 innings pitched (five) this season entering the game. Purdue pitchers issued a combined 14 walks on the day, but none after the seventh inning of game two.
The Boilermakers trailed 6-0 before finally getting on the board in the eighth inning of game one. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game two, but needed three consecutive two-out singles in the sixth inning to tie it up at 4-4. Carlson and Cody Strong delivered RBI hits after Nick Dalesandro's double ignited the rally.
Jack Picchiotti and Strong joined Carlson with three hits in the nightcap as Purdue racked up 15, its most hits in a loss since also having 15 in a March 2011 game at Belmont. Strong extended his reached base safely streak to 13 straight games. Picchiotti has reached safely in 14 straight games that he has started. Johnson's reached safely streak ended at 12 in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Kyle Wood's streak of 10 straight games with an extra-base hit was snapped in game one and his 11-game reached safely streak ended in the nightcap.
The Boilermakers return to action Tuesday for a 6 p.m. midweek game at Indiana State.