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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue baseball overcame a pair of two-run deficits, scoring three times in the eighth inning Friday to rally for an 8-7 victory vs. Northwestern that extended the Boilermakers' season-long win streak to nine.
Skyler Hunter hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Bryce Bonner delivered a game-tying, two-run single as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth. Nick Dalesandro's sac fly plated the go-ahead run.
Purdue (25-16, 11-4 B1G) moved within a game of first place in the Big Ten standings. Michigan and Minnesota are tied atop the league at 12-3 after the Wolverines lost at Rutgers and the Gophers defeated Indiana on Friday.
Bo Hofstra (3-3) retired all seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of relief. Ross Learnard closed out the win to earn his ninth save of the season while extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 22 2/3. He has recorded six saves during the nine-game win streak.
Skyler Hunter & Bryce Bonner discuss #Purdue's comeback win vs. Northwestern, including their at-bats that produced a 3-run homer in the 5th & game-tying 2-run single in the 8th. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/5SAuHauHs0
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 5, 2018
FRIDAY NOTABLES
The Boilermakers won for the fourth time when trailing after seven innings. Two of those victories have come during the win streak. They're 19-0 when leading after seven.
Jack Claeys' two-run homer in the third inning opened the scoring and ultimately ended Purdue's streak of 50 consecutive innings without trailing, which dated back to April 22.
Hunter's home run was the first of his collegiate career and the first long ball by a Boilermaker since April 22.
Purdue's wins streaks -- seven straight in Big Ten play and nine consecutive overall -- remain the program's longest since the 2012 team won seven in a row in conference play during a 10-game win streak.
The Boilermakers have won six consecutive games at home for the second year in a row.
Along with Learnard, Harry Shipley, Jacson McGowan, Dalesandro and Hunter all extended notable streaks. Shipley was 1-for-3 with a walk and hit by pitch, reaching base safely for the 19th straight game. McGowan drew a walk for the seventh straight game, extending his reached safely streak to 12 consecutive games. Dalesandro singled and walked; he's been on base in 15 consecutive games. Hunter's home run gave him a nine-game hit streak in Big Ten play.
Alec Olund, Evan Warden and Dalesandro all finished the win 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored.
Purdue improved to 9-3 on Fridays this season, including 5-1 in Big Ten play.
Full highlights from #Purdue's 8-7 comeback win in the series opener with Northwestern. #BoilerUp#Boilers overcame deficits of 2-0 & 7-5 thanks to a 3-run homer from Skyler Hunter & pinch-hit 2-run single by Bryce Bonner. pic.twitter.com/O7RQe4RzaZ
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 5, 2018
A one-out walk to pinch hitter Evan Kennedy ignited the three-run rally in the eighth inning. Olund followed with another four-pitch walk, leading to a Northwestern (14-26, 4-15 B1G) pitching change. Warden greeted left-hander Richard Fordon with a base hit through the left side. Pinch runner Charlie Nasuti was waved home, but missed the third base bag and had to go back. That loaded the bases as Bonner was sent up to pinch hit.
Bonner went down in the count 0-2, but extended the at-bat and bounced a single past the diving third baseman to plate both Nasuti and Olund. After a walk to Shipley loaded the bases again, NU brought in its closer Tommy Bordignon to face Dalesandro. A line drive into right center was plenty deep to allow Warden to tag up and score.
The Wildcats scored five of their seven runs on home runs to right field. Casey O'Laughlin connected for three-run bomb to cap the scoring in NU's five-run sixth inning. Northwestern quickly answered Hunter's three-run shot the previous inning, flipping a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead.
An impressive diving catch by second baseman Tyler Powers on a bloop into short right field saved a run with runners on the corners and no outs in the sixth inning. O'Laughlin followed with the go-ahead homer.
Purdue starter Tanner Andrews had surrendered just three home runs in 64 1/3 innings entering the night, all three coming in a St. Patrick's Day loss at Saint Louis.
Northwestern enjoyed a 10-6 edge in the hit column, but its pitchers issued 10 free passes. Four of those runners ended up scoring. Olund delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk to Ben Nisle and hit by pitch of Nick Evarts.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. The first pitch of Sunday's series finale has been moved up an hour to noon due to thunderstorms in the forecast.
From a galaxy far, far away...thanks for stopping by Alexander Field for #StarWarsDay #MayTheFourthBeWithYou #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/zao9Zrmc91
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 4, 2018