Box Score: PDF / HTML /// Series Stats
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Purdue baseball's bats were silent for the second day in a row, managing just three hits in a 13-0 rubber game loss at Little Rock on Sunday.
The Boilermakers (3-4) scored in just two of the 27 innings in the series, both coming in Friday's 6-4 win. Purdue was shut out in consecutive games for the first time since last year's series at Cal, which coincidentally was also the second weekend of the season.
The Trojans (2-5) scored in six of the eight innings in which they batted. Nick Wojtysiak's 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth was Purdue's only true clean inning of the day.
Meanwhile, Little Rock starter Chandler Fidel (1-1) faced the minimum through five innings, surrendering just an infield single to Mike Madej in the top of the fifth. Fidel only had to pitch out of the stretch against one of the first 18 batters he faced. He issued four free passes over the final five batters he faced, but put together six-plus innings of one-hit ball nonetheless. The Boilermakers loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning only to strike out three times against reliever Justin Garcia.
Little Rock did not commit an error in the series and finished the weekend riding a streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. Offensively, the Trojans matched their combined run total in the first two games by the fifth inning Sunday.
Head coach Mark Wasikowski recaps Purdue's series at Little Rock after today's rubber game loss. #BoilerUp https://t.co/2cME1sHznf
- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) February 26, 2017
All three of the Boilermakers' hits came from freshmen after Bryce Bonner singled against Garcia in the seventh and Drew Bertram had a pinch-hit single in his collegiate debut.
Little Rock had its leadoff man reach base safely in all five innings that Purdue starter Tanner Schumacher (0-1) pitched. Leadoff doubles led to runs in the second and fifth innings.
Schumacher avoided the big inning early thanks to a few timely plays over the first three frames. With runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the first, he made a nice bare-handed play on a slow tap up the third base line to retire the batter. The following frame, he induced a 4-6-3 double play ball with runners on the corners and no outs. Schumacher's throwing error on a failed pickoff at first base allowed the runner to move into third base with no outs. But he retired the Trojans' 3-4-5 hitters in order without the runner scoring.
Harry Shipley was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning to extend his reached base safely streak to 12 consecutive games dating back to last season. Evan Warden was the only Boilermaker to reach base safely twice Sunday and has also been on base in every game this year.
Purdue returns to action Friday when it opens a three-game series at Southeast Missouri State. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET.