WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Tanner Andrews worked seven shutout innings in his finest start in over a month and Jacson McGowan hit his team-leading seventh home run, leading Purdue baseball to a 5-2 victory vs. Saint Louis in the series opener Friday at rainy Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers (24-18) won their sixth straight game and improved to 9-2 on Fridays behind Andrews this year. Purdue carried a 5-0 lead into the ninth inning Friday and has not trailed for 48 consecutive innings dating back to April 19.
Shortstop Harry Shipley came through with a pair of clutch plays early in the game. With two on and one out in the top of the first, he made an impressive barehanded pick on a bad hop behind second base. He turned the chopper into an inning-ending 6-3 double play. In the bottom of the third, he delivered a two-out RBI single to plate the game's first run.
The timely hit came after SLU (24-15) starter Miller Hogan had struck out consecutive hitters with Hayden Grant on third base. Grant led off the inning with an infield single, aggressively taking third after Carter Hanford's throw got past the first baseman. Hanford had made a nice diving play at third initially to deny Grant of a leadoff double down the line.
McGowan's 7th HR, Andrews' 7 shutout innings headline the highlights from #Purdue's 5-2 win vs SLU via @BTNStudentU. https://t.co/HDnO0tEJff
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 29, 2017
Dalton Parker retired six of the eight batters he faced to close out the win and earn his sixth save of the season. In doing so, he eclipsed Doug Kelly's Purdue freshman record that had stood since 1993. Five of Parker's six saves this season have come in outings longer than one inning.
McGowan's sixth-inning homer was the first against Hogan in 70 innings pitched this season. The Boilermakers handed Hogan (7-1) his first loss of the season. McGowan finished the win 2-for-3 with a walk and two run scored. He's 10-for-19 at the midway point of Purdue's season-long 10-game homestand.
Saint Louis' Alex King connected for a two-run homer in the ninth inning to break up the shutout, ending the Boilermakers' consecutive scoreless innings streak at 18.
McGowan scored from first base on Mike Madej's double over the left fielder's head in the bottom of the eighth. Madej ended up scoring on a passed ball.
.@T13Andrews worked 7 scoreless tonight for his 7th win, but more importantly it was his best start since B1G opener https://t.co/U9Vid2vHKI
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 29, 2017
Bryce Bonner drew three walks while making his seventh straight start at catcher. Two of those bases on balls came against Hogan, who had issued only 17 walks in 65 innings for the season entering the night.
Andrews (7-2) surrendered only two hits after the first inning. He induced an inning-ending double play ball in each of the first two frames and pitched over leadoff walks in fifth and seventh. He struck out four in his most effective outing since working six scoreless innings in the Big Ten-opening win at Iowa on March 24. The junior has pitched at least six shutout innings in four of his 11 starts this year.
Andrews cracked Purdue's season wins list Friday. His seven victories are the most by a Boilermaker since three different pitchers won at least eight games in 2012.
The series continues Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The start time was moved up from the originally scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch.