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KOKOMO, Ind. -- Purdue baseball raced out to an early five-run lead but left 12 runners on base while not scoring after the second inning, allowing IPFW to rally for a 6-5 victory in the midweek finale for both teams Tuesday evening at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
The Mastodons' leading home runs hitters, Shane Trevino and Greg Kaiser, each went deep to lead the comeback effort. Trevino hit a two-run shot in IPFW's three-run third inning and Kaiser led off the bottom of the sixth with a game-tying blast.
The Boilermakers (7-43) had just one hit after the fifth inning, but still managed to strand five runners on base over their final four frames. Purdue left a combined a 26 men on base in its two one-run defeats at the hands of the Mastodons (28-24) over the last eight days. The Boilermakers fell to 1-13 in one-run affairs this year.
Harry Shipley recorded his fourth collegiate three-hit game. Kyle Johnson reached base safely four times with two singles and two walks. Nick Dalesandro drove in a run in each of his first two at-bats. Kyle Wood had an RBI single in the second inning and a pair of walks, extending his reached base safely streak to 13 consecutive games.
With Cody Strong on second base and two outs with IPFW leading by a run in the seventh inning, Shipley singled through the left side. But left fielder Evan VanSumeren was playing shallow and Purdue had to hold Strong at third base. It turned out to be the only hit the Boilermakers recorded against the Mastodons' bullpen. Mitchell Ley (3-2), Tanner McAninch and Dru Sebastian teamed up to retire 11 of the 15 batters they faced over 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Shannon Baker's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth plated what proved to be the game-winning run. After giving up Kaiser's team-leading 14th home run of the season, Jacob Preston loaded the bases via two walks and a hit by pitch. Brian Ghiselli took over on the mound with one out and retired the first two batters he faced, but Baker's line drive to left field was deep enough to become a sac fly.
Kaiser's solo homer was the only hit Preston (0-2) allowed over 2 2/3 innings of relief. The freshman retried six of the first seven batters he faced, inducing a 6-4-3 double play that was impressively turned by Shipley and Strong to erase an inning-opening error in the bottom of the fourth.
Ghiselli struck out IPFW's 3-4-5 hitters in order after giving up a single and a walk to begin the seventh inning. After Robb Woodcock struck out the first two batters of the following frame, Purdue pitchers had five straight Ks.
Johnson threw out a runner at third base on a single to center field in the bottom of the second, recording his 16th collegiate outfield assist.
Five consecutive Purdue hitters reached base safely with one out in the first inning. Jacson McGowan's two-run single with the bases loaded highlighted the rally.
The Boilermakers return to action Thursday when they begin their final series of the season. First pitch against Cal State Northridge is set for 7 p.m.