Box Score: PDF / HTML /// Tournament Central
OMAHA, Neb. - Milo Beam alertly took third base on a walk coupled with a wild pitch in the ninth inning and scored the winning run on Evan Warden's walk-off single as No. 27 Purdue baseball defeated Michigan 5-4 on day 2 of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Boilermakers (36-18) won their fourth straight game vs. Michigan in the last week and sixth consecutive game overall. They earned a day off Friday and will play Saturday at 2 p.m. ET vs. the winner of Friday's Illinois-Indiana elimination game.
Purdue won in its final at-bat for the eighth time this season while improving to 9-2 in one-run affairs. The Boilermakers are 10-1 in neutral-site games, including walk-off wins vs. Incarnate Word (Feb. 23) and Michigan (Thursday). Purdue won in walk-off fashion at the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2005 vs. Illinois. The Boilermakers were the home team even though that game was played in Champaign.
Warden singled up the middle to win the game after Michigan (33-20) intentionally walked Charlie Nasuti and Alec Olund to load the bases and set up a force out at the plate. Beam had reached third after ball four of his at-bat skipped to the backstop and U-M catcher Harrison Salter was unable to locate the ball. Beam moved into third base when the bag was left uncovered.
The Wolverines brought the infield in and reliever William Tribucher (4-4) gave Warden a 3-1 count to work with. Warden's single made him the fourth active Boilermaker with a walk-off hit. Beam scored the decisive run in a walk-off victory for the third time in his career.
Gareth Stroh put together one of his best outings of the season in his first collegiate start in his home state. He worked 5 2/3 innings of four-hit ball, striking out five while issuing just one walk. That lone free pass came against the final batter he faced. The lefty worked three 1-2-3 innings and retired 10 consecutive batters from the third through sixth.
Have another look at Thursday's wild walk-off finish & Milo Beam's postgame interview with the BTN, including a big #BoilerUp at the end. pic.twitter.com/gPdhX63QRW
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 25, 2018
THURSDAY NOTABLES
The Boilermakers have won 20 of their last 22 games. They've won at least six straight games for the third time this season.
Three of the first eight games over the first two games of the Big Ten Tournament ended in walk-off fashion.
Jacson McGowan delivered RBI singles in the first and sixth innings, pushing his team-high RBI total to 51. He's the first Purdue player with consecutive 50-RBI seasons since Cameron Perkins in 2011 and 2012.
Michigan's three unearned runs in the top of the sixth ended a streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings for Purdue pitching.
Skyler Hunter doubled to open the bottom of the sixth, scoring the go-ahead run on McGowan's second RBI single. The hit extended Hunter's reached base safely streak to a career-high 22 consecutive games. Ben Nisle (16) and Alec Olund (13) also extended their career-long reached safely streaks.
Beam did not enter the game until the top of the seventh inning. He batted for the first time in the tournament in the ninth.
Purdue improved to 21-9 when Stroh has started on the mound over the last two seasons. He also pitched into the sixth inning vs. Maryland at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament.
The Boilermakers are 7-18 when tied or trailing after eight innings vs. 29-0 when they have the lead.
Full highlights from #Purdue's 5-4 walk-off win vs. Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament. #Boilers have won 6 in a row & are now 36-18. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/qE024RY1wv
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 25, 2018
Warden helped Purdue get a big out at third base to end the top of the eighth. Michigan had already tied the game at 4-4 when Jack Blomgren delivered a two-out single through the right side with a man aboard. Brock Keener took third on the base hit and Blomgren tried to also move up when Olund threw across the diamond from short right field. Warden came off the bag aggressively and fired the ball to Harry Shipley at second base for the out on Blomgren.
Evan Kennedy connected for an RBI triple over the center fielder's head in the fourth inning. He scored moments later when Olund put the ball in play with an 0-2 count. Michigan had the infield drawn in but the second baseman was unable to field cleanly, settling for the out at first.
A passed ball on a swinging streak three to Jordan Nwogu with the bases loaded in the in the sixth inning helped the Wolverines tie the game. That key play came with the bases loaded and two outs after Bo Hofstra had replaced Stroh on the mound. A run scored on the strikeout and Keener followed with a game-tying single to short center field. All three runs Stroh was charged with were unearned and scored after he left the mound.
Trevor Cheaney induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Michigan's top hitter Jonathan Engelmann with two men aboard in the seventh inning. Dalton Parker (5-0) posted a zero in the ninth to earn the victory.
Saturday's game will be either Purdue's fifth of the season against rival Indiana or its first of the season vs. Illinois. The opponent will have to beat the Boilermakers twice to keep them from advancing to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
Hear what Milo Beam, Evan Warden & Gareth Stroh had to say at Thursday's postgame press conference after #Purdue won 5-4 in walk-off fashion vs. Michigan. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/TBkmW2Rheg
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 25, 2018
Coach @Waz4412 breaks down another exciting win as #Purdue won for the 20th time in 22 games since April 20. Nothing quite like a walk-off win in the postseason. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/emaqQqA5T8
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 25, 2018