BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Down 8-1 early, Purdue baseball brought the potential tying run to the plate in two different innings, but the comeback effort came up a run short in a 10-9 series-opening loss at Indiana on Friday afternoon.
The Boilermakers (4-22, 0-7 B1G) enjoyed a 14-10 edge in the hit column, but were done in by five unearned runs in a seven-run third inning along with four bases-loaded walks.
Kyle Wood connected for his Big Ten-leading 10th home run of the year in the fifth inning, becoming the first Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present) to record a double-figure homer season and the first to do so overall since Dan Black in 2009.
Cody Strong posted his second career four-hit game, improving to 10-for-14 over the last three games. He extended his reached base safely streak to a team-best 15 consecutive games, one game shy of the longest run of his career. Kyle Johnson also reached base safely four times, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI.
Purdue scored four runs in the fifth and ninth innings, marking the second time this season it posted a pair of four-run frames in the same game. The five runs the Boilermakers scored on IU starter Kyle Hart (6-2) matched the most against the lefty in any of his eight starts this year. But it was the ERA of standout reliever Jake Kelzer that took the big hit. Purdue scored four runs against him in the top of the ninth after the right-hander had surrendered just one earned run in 22 innings entering the day.
Kyle Wood's Big Ten-leading 10th home run among the #Purdue highlights in today's 10-9 slugfest loss at Indiana. https://t.co/KKvWYfkbWV
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 8, 2016
Lafayette native Logan Sowers had two hits in the Hoosiers' seven-run third inning, which was the second-largest rally by a Purdue opponent this season. He led off the frame with a base hit and later delivered a two-out, three-run double to left center with the bases loaded. Indiana's extended rally featured four hits, three free passes, a sac fly and an error on a sacrifice bunt that gave the home team an additional out in the frame.
The Boilermakers have been outscored 49-12 over the first three innings during their current 11-game losing streak. Overall, they fell to 2-9 in games decided by two runs or fewer this season.
Eddie De LaRiva gave up the three-run double to Sowers as the first batter he faced, but responded by retiring the next 10 Hoosiers (15-13, 2-2 B1G) to the come to the plate, working 1-2-3 innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Four straight free passes, including a pair of bases-loaded walks, helped IU score what proved to be two very important insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Johnson tripled to right center with Alec Olund and Strong aboard in the fifth inning. Wood followed with his home run to right center. After a leadoff walk to Harry Shipley in the top of the ninth, a double by Strong, RBI singles from Johnson and Wood, and consecutive RBI ground outs from Daniel Sander and Nick Dalesandro made it a one-run game.
Tanner Schumacher struck out Sowers to leave the bases loaded in the seventh inning. He went on to strike out three of the four batters he faced in his most successful outing since earning the victory with four perfect innings of relief on the first Sunday of the season.
Jack Picchiotti had a pair of singles and Shipley reached base safely three times from the nine hole, but the four through six spots in the Purdue lineup were a combined 1-for-15.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.