NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Purdue baseball surrendered runs in only one inning Saturday, but Cal State Northridge hit a pair of homers in the frame to defeat the Boilermakers 4-1 in game two of the series.
Purdue's bats were silenced by CSUN starter Samuel Myers (2-1), who struck out 10 over 8 1/3 innings of one-hit ball. Nick Dalesandro's two-out RBI double in the ninth inning broke up the shutout.
Justin Toerner and Kevin Riley homered in the Matadors' four-run second inning, both going deep for the second day in a row. CSUN (9-6) has already hit seven homers in the series, scoring 14 of its 20 runs over the first two games on the long ball.
Myers induced a pair of ground-ball double plays and speared a line drive off the bat of Stephen Kalina to start another inning-ending twin killing in the sixth inning. Those plays allowed the senior to face only 28 batters over his 8 1/3 innings. Five of Myers' 10 strikeouts came on his third trip through the Purdue (5-7) lineup.
Cam Williams & Ross Learnard teamed up to retire 12 of 14 batters in 4 IP of 1-hit relief. They discuss today's loss https://t.co/JUdXe6ZYdp
- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 12, 2017
Harry Shipley walked three times as the only Boilermaker to reach base safely multiple times. He scored from second base when Dalesandro connected for the opposite-field double off CSUN closer Conner O'Neil in the ninth inning. Dalesandro drove in a run for the fifth consecutive game.
Cameron Williams and Ross Learnard both retired six of the seven batters they faced over two innings of scoreless relief. Together they teamed up to retire 10 consecutive batters from the fifth through eighth innings. Both right-handers retired CSUN's Alvaro Rubalcaba, who reached base safely in each of his first six plate appearances in the series, homering three times Friday.
Purdue starter Gareth Stroh (1-2) struck out six over four innings, but also walked five batters. He faced 24 batters through four frames to Myers' 28 over 8 1/3 innings.
Stroh struck out the side in the first inning to escape a bases-loaded jam. An infield single to third base was the only ball put in play against him on his first trip through the CSUN lineup. But he also issued four free passes (3 walks, 1 HBP) that first time through. He walked the Matadors' eight and nine hitters in front of Toerner's three-run homer in the second inning.
Purdue's best scoring chance against Myers came in the sixth inning. John LeGare and Shipley were aboard with one out when Kalina hit the line drive back to the mound. Myers caught the liner, doubled off Shipley at first and went on to retire the next seven batters while working consecutive 1-2-3 innings over the next two frames.
The Boilermakers had their leadoff man reach safely four times in a span of five frames against Myers, but only once did that runner make it to second base. Skyler Hunter hit a line drive up the middle to begin the third inning. It was the only ball Purdue hit out of the infield for the game until Kalina flied out to left field for the second out of the ninth inning.
Evan Warden was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth inning, getting plunked for the 10th time this season. That extended his reached base safely streak to 12 consecutive games.
The four-game series continues Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.