NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Purdue baseball enjoyed a 14-13 edge in the hit column, but five home runs and a pair of big innings powered Cal State Northridge past the Boilermakers 16-8 Friday in the opener of a four-game series.
The Matadors' Alvaro Rubalcaba homered three times to left field, finishing with seven RBI. Purdue (5-6) was unable to retire CSUN's nine-hole in the lineup, walking Rubalcaba as well as his defensive replacement William Colantono the other two times that spot in the order came up.
Northridge (8-6) scored seven times in the second inning and six times in the bottom of the fourth. Rubalcaba homered in both innings. Kevin Riley and Justin Toerner also went deep for CSUN.
There were more runs scored Friday (24) than in the entire four-game series (20) between Purdue and CSUN at Alexander Field last season.
Nick Dalesandro, Skyler Hunter and Evan Warden all had three hits for Purdue. Harry Shipley (double, single, walk) and Stephen Kalina (two walks, hit by pitch) also reached base safely three times each.
Nick Dalesandro had 3 hits today & is 8-for-17 with 8 RBI over the last 4 games. He discusses today's loss at CSUN. https://t.co/sCaEDvXGFt
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 11, 2017
Tanner Andrews (3-1) entered the day fresh off a complete-game shutout of Southeast Missouri State in another hitter-friendly ballpark. He worked 1-2-3 innings in the first and third, but was only able to retire three of the combined 13 batters he faced in the second and fourth. Northridge scored 10 runs against Andrews over his three-plus frames after he had surrendered just five runs in 21 1/3 innings entering the day, leading the Boilermakers to three series-opening wins.
Dalesandro delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded in the third inning, cutting CSUN's lead to 7-2. But Andrew Weston (3-1) squashed the possibility of an extended rally when he induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Jacson McGowan moments later. McGown did deliver a two-out, two-run single in Purdue's four-run eighth inning. But the Boilermakers trailed 16-3 entering the frame.
Purdue had its leadoff man reach base safely five times in six chances from the third through eighth innings. Shipley doubled off the wall in center field to begin the top of the fifth, recording his fourth extra-base hit in the last three games. Dalesandro has now hit safely and driven home a run in four straight games. He's 8-for-17 with eight RBI during that stretch. Warden kept his reached base safely streak alive, extending it to 11 consecutive games.
The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.