TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- An early three-run deficit coupled with squandered opportunities in three consecutive innings later in the game cost Purdue baseball in a 4-1 loss at Indiana State on Tuesday evening.
The Sycamores (19-11) scored all four of their runs over the first four innings. The Boilermakers (4-21) had just two base runners over the first four frames, but had the tying run at the plate multiple times in both the sixth and seventh innings. Purdue left eight men on base and hit into an unconventional inning-ending 3-2 double play with runners on the corners in the top of the sixth.
Cody Strong was 3-for-4 with three opposite-field hits to right field, extending his reached base safely streak to 14 straight games. Nick Dalesandro drove in the Boilermakers' only run of the day with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. He also doubled, walked and teamed up with Harry Shipley on a relay sequence that cut down a runner at the plate trying to score from first base to end the bottom of the eighth.
Gavin Downs worked four scoreless frames out of the bullpen, putting together the 15th relief appearance of at least three innings allowing one earned run or fewer by a Purdue pitcher this season. Downs retired nine of 10 hitters from the fifth through eighth innings.
Indiana State pitchers struck out nine batters Tuesday, six coming on a called third strike. Reliever Triston Polley fanned both Justin Gubser and Kyle Johnson looking with runners on second and third to end the seventh inning.
The Boilermakers had at least their first two batters reach base safely to begin the sixth and seventh innings, but they managed to manufacture just the one run from those opportunities. It came on Dalesandro's sac fly after a single by Brett Carlson loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. A swinging-bunt dribbler off the bat of James Jewell led to the 3-2 double play. ISU first baseman Dane Giesler tagged Jewell and threw home where Kyle Wood appeared to get his hand on the plate before the tag was applied, but instead was called out.
Purdue also stranded runners at first and second in the fifth inning and left three other runners at second base over the course of the game. The Boilermakers were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-11 with a runner aboard overall.
Indiana State had two walks, an RBI double and another run-scoring hit before Purdue was able to record an out, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Brian Ghiselli limited the damage in the bottom of the first by inducing an inning-ending 6-3 double play with runners on the corners that Shipley handled himself. Ghiselli (0-1) went on to retire nine of 10 batters from the first through fourth innings, but the lone hit during that stretch was a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the third.
Jack Picchiotti's 14-game reached base safely streak as a starter came to an end Tuesday.
The Boilermakers return to action Friday when it opens a three-game conference series at rival Indiana. First pitch in Bloomington has been moved up to 4 p.m.