WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue baseball took a two-run lead into the seventh inning, but No. 25 Minnesota scored 12 unanswered over the final three frames to take game two of the weekend series 14-4 Saturday afternoon at Alexander Field.
The Golden Gophers (32-15, 14-5 B1G) scored nine times in the eighth inning, turning a one-run deficit into an eight-run lead. Twelve men came to the plate as Minnesota racked up eight hits after a leadoff walk. Five different Gophers recorded an RBI single before Toby Hanson delivered the big blow, a two-out, three-run homer. It was the only extra-base hit of the extended rally.
Kyle Johnson was 4-for-4 with an RBI triple and a walk, reaching base safely in all five of his plate appearances and recording his second career four-hit game. He joined Daniel Sander (5-for-5 Wednesday at Valparaiso) as Boilermakers to reach base safely five times in a game this week.
The nine-run inning was the second biggest of the season posted against Purdue (7-41, 2-21 B1G). Indiana State scored twelve times in the top of the eighth April 20 at Alexander Field. With those two big frames accounting for 21 of the runs, the Boilermakers have been outscored 62-10 in the eighth inning this year. It has also been Purdue's lowest-scoring frame for the season.
The Boilermakers lost for the fourth time this season when leading after seven innings. Minnesota has rallied for victory after trailing through seven each of the last two days.
Matt Frawley surrendered just two hits along with three walks over five innings. He was not charged with an earned run after Minnesota scored its runs against him on a passed ball and via a runner that reached base on a dropped fly ball in deep right center.
Highlights from today's Purdue-Minnesota game at Alexander Field. Gophers a 14-4 winners thanks to 12 unanswered. https://t.co/i9TZbPsi87
-- Purdue Video (@purduevideo) May 14, 2016
Following a leadoff walk to Harry Shipley in the third inning, Johnson's triple to left center tied the score at 1-1. Kyle Wood followed with an RBI single. Purdue scored twice more the following frame, again taking advantage of a leadoff walk. After a dropped fly ball in right center, Shipley delivered a sacrifice fly and Brett Carlson had a squeeze bunt RBI hit to make it 4-2.
Minnesota starter Dalton Sawyer struck out eight of the 22 batters he faced but was lifted after the fourth inning after he also walked four batters. Tyler Hanson (4-2) finished off the game with five innings of three-run relief, retiring 14 of the 17 batters he faced. He worked three 1-2-3 innings.
With Purdue leading 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Johnson and Wood recorded consecutive singles to open the frame. But Hanson cut down the lead runner at third base on a sac bunt attempt and then induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Dan Motl's two-run single to left field drove in the go-ahead runs, giving Minnesota a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning. It was the Gophers' first edge since a 1-0 advantage entering the bottom of the third. Minnesota's next three hits were all of the bloop single variety, but kept the line moving nonetheless.
The Gophers won the game handily despite Big Ten batting leader Matt Fiedler going 0-for-6, dropping his average more than .10 points.
The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.