BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jacson McGowan hit a two-run homer and Tanner Andrews worked six innings of two-hit ball, leading Purdue baseball to a 4-2 series-opening win at No. 10 Indiana on Friday.
The Boilermakers (15-10, 4-0 B1G) won their sixth consecutive game and improved to 4-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1985, remaining atop the conference standings. Indiana (20-6, 1-2 B1G) saw its nine-game win streak at home come to an end.
Purdue scored twice with two outs in the ninth inning to break a 2-2 stalemate. With the bases loaded, IU shortstop Justin Walker misplayed a ground ball, allowing two runners to come home. Ross Learnard struck out the side in the bottom of the frame, working around a pair of singles.
Highlights from @PurdueBaseball's 4-2 win at No. 10 Indiana. The #Boilermakers have won 6 straight & are 4-0 in Big Ten play. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/uQxZGmW4YO
-- Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) April 6, 2018
FRIDAY NOTABLES
- The Boilermakers posted their first win against a ranked among the top 10 nationally since March 2006 at No. 2/3 North Carolina.
- Purdue improved to 3-1 vs. the Hoosiers under second-year head coach Mark Wasikowski.
- It was the Boilermakers' first win in Bloomington since 2010. Including losses to Nebraska and Maryland at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, Purdue entered the weekend 0-8 at IU's Bart Kaufman Field. The stadium opened in 2013 and the Boilermakers made their first appearance at the ballpark a year later.
- Purdue has posted three winning streaks of at least six games in just 81 games under Wasikowski over the last season and a half.
- McGowan has already surpassed his team-leading home run total from a year ago. After going 11 games without a long ball from March 4 to 27, he has now gone deep in the three of the last five games. The Boilermakers are 9-0 when he has homered this season. The first baseman has an RBI in six straight games.
- Andrews put together his sixth quality start of the season in eight outings. He struck out six Friday, matching his career high in a Big Ten game. The senior has worked 12 1/3 innings of three-run ball in Big Ten play this season. Dating back to last year, Purdue has won seven of his 10 Big Ten starts.
- Dalton Parker and Ross Learnard teamed up for three innings of shutout relief. The bullpen has not surrendered an earned run in 24 consecutive innings dating back to March 18.
- The Boilermakers have surrendered only 13 runs on 38 hits (5.4 per game) in the last seven games. The opposition is batting just .174 against Purdue pitchers during that stretch.
- Harry Shipley singled twice and drew a ninth-inning walk to load the bases for Hunter. Shipley has reached base at least twice in eight of the last nine games. He's 16-for-35 with a .538 on-base percentage during that stretch.
Jacson McGowan has 9 homers & 33 RBI in 25 games this season. He discusses his 2-run shot to right field in Friday's big 4-2 win at No. 10 Indiana. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/n4MiwEes28
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 6, 2018
The Boilermakers did not record a hit in the ninth inning. Walks to Evan Warden and Shipley coupled with a hit by pitch of pinch hitter Bryce Bonner loaded the bases for Hunter, who joined Shipley with two hits Friday.
Walker was also the reason the game was tied in the ninth inning. He drove in both of IU's runs from the nine-hole in the lineup. Both runs scored in somewhat unconventional fashion. With a runner on third and one out in the third inning, he hit a comebacker to Andrews. But the ball skipped high enough in the air that Scotty Bradley had enough time to scamper home as Andrews had to take the out at first base.
Walker was also credited with a sacrifice fly on a looping line drive that was caught by second baseman Tyler Powers a few steps into right field. Matt Gorski used his speed to steal the run, winning a game of cat and mouse as Powers ran the ball in. Gorski dove into home plate safely just before the tag was applied. That play allowed IU to tie game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
McGowan's homer was an opposite-field line drive to right field with Hunter aboard in the fourth inning. He also hit a towering fly ball to left with Shipley aboard in the top of the eighth, but the wind knocked the ball down and may have been the reason it stayed in the ballpark.
All four walks Andrews issued came in the fifth inning. He was able to keep the game tied by striking out IU's No. 3 hitter Luke Miller to end the frame the bases loaded. An inning later, the Hoosiers stranded runners on the corners.
Learnard (1-1) gave up consecutive singles in the ninth inning to allow the tying run to reach base, but he responded with two strikeouts to finish off the win. He fanned IU's No. 2 hitter Matt Lloyd and then the Hoosiers pinch hitter for Miller, who was the designated hitter Friday due to an ailment.
Game two of the series is slated for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
Coach @Waz4412 wants to change the weather, but he'll take a W for his @PurdueBaseball team, even in the cold. pic.twitter.com/7UPjcpMNPm
-- BTN Student U (@BTNStudentU) April 6, 2018