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SAN ANTONIO -- Tanner Andrews surrendered just one earned run while striking out eight over seven innings, but No. 30 Notre Dame finally broke a 2-2 tie with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Purdue baseball 4-2 Saturday at the Alamo Irish Classic.
The Boilermakers (5-1) suffered their first loss of the season, but will have an opportunity for a little payback Sunday when they square off against UND (4-2) again at noon ET.
David LaManna connected for a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Ross Learnard (0-1) issued a leadoff walk in his second of relief, but cut down the lead runner at second base moments later on a failed sacrifice bunt. LaManna's long ball to left field proved UND did not need a runner in scoring position to end the game.
Purdue scored twice in the first inning, but did not have a runner advance past second base the remainder of the game. Notre Dame pitchers issued eight free passes, but the Boilermakers had six base runners erased. Purdue hit into 6-4-3 double plays after leadoff walks in the third and eighth innings. LaManna threw out three base stealers at second base and also picked off a runner at first.
Andrews retired each of the final nine batters he pitched to, issuing only an intentional walk to the Notre Dame cleanup hitter in the fifth inning during that stretch. Andrews and Learnard teamed up to retire 10 consecutive batters from the fifth through eighth innings.
Andrews struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth to pitch over a leadoff infield single and stolen base. He also fanned the final batter of the first and third innings with a runner aboard.
Jacson McGowan and Nick Dalesandro drove in Purdue's runs in the top of the first after a walk to Harry Shipley and bunt single by Skyler Hunter set the stage. Hunter and McGowan have hit safely in each of the first six games this season.
Notre Dame scored both of its runs with two outs. The game-tying tally in the third inning scored after an error in the outfield. Nick Podkul was able to score from first base on a ground ball through the right side after Ben Nisle over ran the ball.
Charlie Nasuti singled twice in his first collegiate start, recording his first hit as a Boilermaker.
There was ninth-inning heroics in three of the first five games of the Alamo Irish Classic. Thursday evening, Incarnate Word scored three times in the top of the ninth, defeating the Irish 5-3 on a two-run homer by David Anaya. Friday night, Purdue recorded consecutive two-out doubles in the bottom of the ninth to plate the tying run vs. UIW.
The Boilermakers lost in walk-off fashion for the first time since game three of the 2017 season-opening series at Texas State.