IOWA CITY, Iowa - Purdue baseball recorded three outfield assists, cutting down a pair of base runners at the plate to help keep the game tied until the eighth inning when Iowa put together a four-run rally to defeat the Boilermakers 5-1 Saturday.
Purdue (12-9, 1-1 B1G) brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth inning, but saw its seven-game win streak come to an end. The Boilermakers suffered their first loss since March 12.
Both teams cut down a pair of base runners at the plate. Because of those outs, the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning. Over the first two games of the series, the starting pitchers have combined for 21 1/3 innings of two-run ball.
After issuing 12 walks in eight innings over his last two starters, Purdue starter Gareth Stroth was much more efficient Saturday. The southpaw did not issue a walk and kept the Hawkeyes (12-9, 1-1 B1G) off the scoreboard until Justin Jenkins came through with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
The first seven batters to come to the dish for Iowa in the eighth inning put together a productive plate appearance. Big Ten home run leader Jake Adams finally came through with the Hawkeyes' first run-scoring hit of the series, a double down the right field line to plate Mason McCoy as the go-ahead run from second base. It was the first of three straight hits to begin the inning and the first of two RBI doubles in the frame.
Alec Olund threw runners out at home and third base from right field. Nick Dalesandro cut down a runner at the plate from left field in the bottom of the fourth. Meanwhile, Harry Shipley reached base safely three times, but was thrown out at the plate to end the third and fifth innings. All four outs at the plate were of the inning-ending variety.
.@AlecOlund1 threw out runners at 3rd & home from RF today. He discusses #Purdue's game 2 loss at Iowa. #BoilerUp https://t.co/VisyoV86MX
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 26, 2017
Dalesandro singled in each of his first three at-bats to extend his reached base safely streak to 17 consecutive games. He also recorded his ninth career outfield assist. Skyler Hunter's 10-game hit streak came to end, but he drew a walk in the ninth inning to reach base safely for the 11th straight game.
In the top of the ninth, Evan Kennedy's double was followed by walks to Hunter and Bryce Bonner to load the bases. With the tying run at the plate, Iowa went to the bullpen. Shane Ritter retired Evan Warden and Olund to escape the jam and close out the win. Zach Daniels (4-1) worked three consecutive 1-2-3 innings to earn the win in relief for the Hawkeyes.
Warden's leadoff double in the fifth inning led to the game's first run after consecutive bunts from Olund and Shipley.
The Boilermakers made two nice catches along the fence line in foul territory. Jacson McGowan caught a pop up near the Iowa dugout for the first out of the first inning. Dalesandro was able to reach over the left field fencing by the Purdue bullpen to steal an out in bottom of the fifth. Both plays came with a man at first base.
Third baseman Mike Madej also helped Stroh get out of a jam in the second inning by turning a chopper down the third base line into an unconventional 5-4 double play, forcing runners at second and third base on the play.
Stroh recorded his second pickoff of the season to erase a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, but Purdue was unable to record an out when it had a runner picked off on two other occasions later in the game. Shipley also stole a base after initially being caught leaving early for second.
Ross Learnard gave up three singles in the bottom of the seventh, matching the total he had allowed over the first eight innings he pitched during the seven-game win streak, but Olund threw out pinch runner Corbin Woods at third base for the second out of the frame on a base hit to right field.
Olund and Dalesandro both recorded their outfield assists on outs at the plate on two-out singles as an Iowa player tried to score from second base.
The rubber game of the series is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.