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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Five consecutive singles after a leadoff hit by pitch led to a four-run eighth inning for Purdue baseball as the Boilermakers rallied for a 6-5 win vs. Indiana on Friday.
Jacson McGowan (3-for-4) and Mike Madej (4-for-4) combined for seven of Purdue's 12 hits. They drove in game-tying and game-winning runs in consecutive at-bats in the bottom of the eighth. Harry Shipley, Nick Dalesandro and Skyler Hunter also singled during the rally after Evan Warden was plunked for the 18th time this season, the most in the country, to begin the frame.
Ross Learnard worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning vs. the Hoosiers' 1-2-3 hitters to close out the win. It was his 20th consecutive scoreless inning dating back to March 11. Relievers Nick Wojtysiak, Kyle Schweiger and Learnard teamed up to retire nine of IU's final 10 batters of the game.
The Boilermakers (16-13, 4-3 B1G) improved to 6-2 on Fridays this season. They won their fifth straight game vs. Indiana (15-12-2, 3-3-1 B1G) in West Lafayette dating back to 2009 and their seventh straight against their rivals away from Bloomington dating back to the 2010 Big Ten Tournament in Columbus. Friday's game was the first meeting in West Lafayette since 2011.
Full highlights from tonight's 6-5 comeback win vs. IU.
McGowan: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Madej: 4-for-4, GW RBI https://t.co/JbSlR3OCAJ-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 8, 2017
Purdue recorded five hits in one inning against the IU bullpen after starter Jonathan Stiever limited the Boilermakers to seven hits over seven innings of two-run ball. Warden's leadoff single in the first inning was the only hit against Stiever recorded by someone other than McGowan or Madej.
McGowan connected for a leadoff home run in the second inning, his team-leading fourth long ball of the season and Purdue's first at Alexander Field this year. After Craig Dedelow also homered to right field for IU in the top of the fifth, the Boilermakers trailed 5-1 entering the following frame. Hunter and McGowan delivered consecutive two-out doubles in the bottom of the sixth to begin the comeback. Madej followed with a single but McGowan was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Alex Krupa.
Purdue starter Tanner Andrews had three strikeouts vs. four walks over six innings of five-run ball. All three strikeouts came against IU first baseman Austin Cangelosi, who was pinch hit for when his spot in the order came up again to lead off the top of the eighth. Matt Gorski took over at first base to begin the bottom of the frame and the ball quickly found him twice.
Both Dalesandro and Hunter hit line drives to first base. Gorski got a glove on both liners but was unable to record an out. The ball Dalesandro hit caromed down the first base line, plating Warden and giving Purdue runners on the corners with no outs. Hunter was down in the count 0-2 but was able to extend the at-bat, again challenging Gorski with liner to first. Shipley was unable to score from third on the play, but Hunter's infield hit did load the bases for McGowan. Shipley would score on a wild pitch before the game-tying and game-winning singles from McGowan and Madej.
.@MikeyMadej10, @J_McGowan23 & @Waz4412 discuss tonight's comeback win vs. IU. #Purdue scored 4 in B-8th to win 6-5. https://t.co/wqptBGhTlj
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 8, 2017
Beginning with a 6-4-3 double play in the top of the first, Andrews retired eight of nine batters through the end of a 1-2-3 frame in the third inning. But the Hoosiers would send eight batters to the plate in the top of the fourth, scoring twice after consecutive two-out RBI singles by Tony Butler and Jeremy Houston from the eight- and nine-holes of the lineup.
Stiever retired 14 of 15 batters from the second through sixth innings. Madej was the only Purdue batter to reach base during that stretch, recording a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth. The freshman also had four hits in the March 16 win at Santa Clara.
Hunter extended his reached base safely streak to 19 consecutive games. Warden has now been on base in the last 10 games in which he has played.
Six years ago in the opening game of the last Indiana-Purdue series in West Lafayette, the Boilermakers scored the tying run with two outs in the ninth inning to extend the contest. They went on to win on walk-off single in the 12th inning.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.