COLUMBUS, Ohio - Purdue baseball managed just one hit with a runner on base, suffering a 4-2 loss at the hands of Ohio State that snapped the Boilermakers' 13-game winning streak Friday.
Purdue (29-17, 13-5 B1G) lost for the first time since April 18. The Boilermakers' nine-game Big Ten win streak also came to an end. Both streaks were the program's longest since 2001. Purdue's 13 consecutive victories represented the nation's longest active win streak entering the weekend.
Alec Olund went 4-for-4 to record his first collegiate four-hit game. He became the fourth Boilermaker to register four hits a game this season. His RBI single with one out in the second inning opened the game's scoring. But it was Purdue's only hit of the night with men on base. The Boilermakers were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-14 with a man aboard.
Ohio State (32-16, 12-7 B1G) scored twice in the second and fifth innings. Starter Connor Curlis (6-3) overcame three walks and three balks over the first three innings. The lefty settled in and retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced to post a quality start. He pitched six innings of one-run ball, surrendering just three singles. The Buckeyes went to their closer Seth Kinker in the seventh inning and the veteran reliever was able to close out the win in his program-record 101st career appearance, earning his 12th save.
Purdue had runners thrown out at the plate and third base in the first and final innings, respectively. With Curlis working from the windup having already committed two balks in the frame, Nick Dalesandro attempted to steal home with two outs in the first inning. Curlis delivered a pitch on the inside corner to right-handed batter Ben Nisle and catcher Jacob Barnwell was able to tag out Dalesandro on a close play.
Full highlights from Purdue's 4-2 loss at Ohio State on Friday. The #Boilermakers' 9-game win streak in Big Ten play also ended tonight. pic.twitter.com/L4Q5Ym8dpu
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 12, 2018
Olund led off the top of the ninth with a line drive into the right field corner. He slid head first into third base. OSU's Conner Pohl held the tag on Olund and convinced the third base umpire that Olund's fingers had come off the bag as he overslid the base on the artificial turf. The Buckeyes got the call for the first out of the frame. Olund was ejected for slamming his helmet to the turf in protest and is expected to be suspended for Saturday's game.
Purdue will likely be without its hottest hitter for game 2 of the series. Olund has at least three hits in four of the last 11 games, batting .538 with 10 RBI and 11 runs scored during that stretch.
Backup first baseman Bo Coolen made some key contributions for Ohio State on Friday. He delivered a game-tying RBI single with an 0-2 count in the second inning. Defensively, he scooped three throws in the dirt to save shortstop Noah West three throwing errors.
Tanner Andrews (5-4) suffered his first loss in Big Ten play since May 12, 2017 after surrendering four runs on nine hits and three walks over six innings. The senior had helped lead the Boilermakers to five straight wins on the road in conference play dating back to last season, their last Friday loss coming at Ohio State on the final day of March a year ago. Purdue was able to rally to take the series.
Dalesandro singled and walked twice, extending his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games and reached base safely streak to 20 straight games. Skyler Hunter walked in the top of the first to extend his reached base safely to 14 games. But his RBI streak ended at six games and his Big Ten hitting streak was snapped at 11. Harry Shipley (23) and Jacson McGowan (16) had their career-long reached safely streaks snapped with 0-for-4 nights.
Nisle's run-scoring ground out in the eighth inning gave him an RBI for the fifth straight game.
The Boilermakers picked off a pair of base runners in the loss. Dalesandro caught a runner straying from first base after making a nice pick on a pitch in the dirt in the first inning. It was the fourth pickoff of the season for the Purdue catcher. Bo Hofstra and Owen Jansen teamed up to pick off a runner at second on the back side of a wheel play as OSU showed bunt in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
🎓 Six of our seniors officially earn their degrees this weekend while #Purdue is in Columbus. Congrats to @evankennedy41, @MikeKornacker21, @RLearn_, @hshipley7, @AlecOlund1 & @T13Andrews.
We also have a special recognition ceremony planned for Tuesday at Alexander. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/SN90BmsvX9-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 11, 2018