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Stats: Series / March
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue pitchers struck out 15 batters and Cole McKenzie plated the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, leading the Boilermakers to a 2-1 walk-off victory vs. Penn State on Sunday at Alexander Field.
Purdue (10-16, 4-1 B1G) won a pair of pitcher's duels this weekend, 1-0 and 2-1, to sweep the weather-shortened series. The series finale was canceled Sunday after game 1 of the doubleheader did not begin until 5 p.m. due to cold temperatures coupled with a 20-degree wind chill.
Pinch runner Seth Gergely scored the game-winning run. With Gergely at third and one out, Penn State (14-8, 0-5 B1G) opted to use a five-man infield behind relief pitcher Kyle Virbitsky (1-1). McKenzie hit a pop up into short right center field. Mac Hippenhammer made a diving catch and strong throw to the plate, but Gergely successfully tagged up and scored without needing to slide.
McKenzie has accounted for the game-winning RBI in both of the Boilermakers' walk-off wins this season. He drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the game-winning run in the ninth inning of the March 9 win vs. NJIT.
SUNDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue has won each of its first two conference series for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten championship season. The Boilermakers have won 11 consecutive Big Ten games at home and their last four weekend series at Alexander Field.
• In series of at least two games in length, Purdue has swept Penn State four times since 2013. The Boilermakers are 19-7 vs. PSU this decade.
• Purdue allowed just one run in 19 innings this weekend, racking up 28 strikeouts while issuing only five walks.
• The Boilermakers have surrendered only nine earned runs over the last seven games, winning six times.
• Purdue posted its 13th double-figure strikeout total Sunday, already matching a program-high total since 2005. The Boilermakers have struck out at least 10 batters eight times in the last 11 games. They're averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during that stretch.
• Purdue's last three walk-off wins had come in neutral-site games. Sunday was the program's first at Alexander Field since May 2017 vs. Northwestern. The Boilermakers have 18 last at-bat wins in three seasons under head coach Mark Wasikowski.
Trent Johnson and Bo Hofstra teamed up to strike out nine of the 18 batters they faced over 4 1/3 innings of four-hit relief. Johnson fanned six over 2 1/3 innings and has 18 Ks over 7 2/3 innings in Big Ten play this season. After allowing an inherited runner to score on a two-out single by PSU cleanup hitter Parker Hendershot, Johnson struck out the next five batters he faced. He fanned the Nittany Lions' 6-7-8 hitters in order in the seventh inning.
Hofstra (2-1) has pitched in each of Purdue's last six wins, striking out 10 over 7 2/3 innings of three-hit relief. He fanned the first two batters he faced Sunday.
Owen Jansen's bloop double in the 10th inning led to the game-winning run. Penn State left fielder Gavin Homer lost the ball in the twilight sky and it dropped into short left. Jansen ran out the play and was rewarded with his team-leading eighth double. After Gergely went in as a pinch runner, the freshman took third on a wild pitch. McKenzie battled with two strikes and eventually put the ball in play for the game-deciding play.
Nick Evarts' squeeze-bunt single plated the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth as Purdue quickly pulled even after PSU had scored its only run of the series. A one-out walk to Zac Fascia coupled with a two-base throwing error on a failed pickoff finally gave the Boilermakers a runner at third base. Evarts got the bunt down on the first pitch delivered by PSU relief ace Mason Mellott, who entered the game with a 1-1 count on Evarts.
Defensively, Fascia threw out his 11th base stealer of the season and also picked off a runner at third base after Penn State had runners on the corners with no outs in the fourth inning.
Ryan Howe recorded two of Purdue's five hits to finish the weekend 5-for-7. Skyler Hunter singled and walked, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 22 consecutive games.
The Boilermakers are back in action Wednesday when they host Indiana State for a 6 p.m. ET midweek rematch.
Stats: Series / March
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue pitchers struck out 15 batters and Cole McKenzie plated the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, leading the Boilermakers to a 2-1 walk-off victory vs. Penn State on Sunday at Alexander Field.
Purdue (10-16, 4-1 B1G) won a pair of pitcher's duels this weekend, 1-0 and 2-1, to sweep the weather-shortened series. The series finale was canceled Sunday after game 1 of the doubleheader did not begin until 5 p.m. due to cold temperatures coupled with a 20-degree wind chill.
Pinch runner Seth Gergely scored the game-winning run. With Gergely at third and one out, Penn State (14-8, 0-5 B1G) opted to use a five-man infield behind relief pitcher Kyle Virbitsky (1-1). McKenzie hit a pop up into short right center field. Mac Hippenhammer made a diving catch and strong throw to the plate, but Gergely successfully tagged up and scored without needing to slide.
McKenzie has accounted for the game-winning RBI in both of the Boilermakers' walk-off wins this season. He drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the game-winning run in the ninth inning of the March 9 win vs. NJIT.
SUNDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue has won each of its first two conference series for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten championship season. The Boilermakers have won 11 consecutive Big Ten games at home and their last four weekend series at Alexander Field.
• In series of at least two games in length, Purdue has swept Penn State four times since 2013. The Boilermakers are 19-7 vs. PSU this decade.
• Purdue allowed just one run in 19 innings this weekend, racking up 28 strikeouts while issuing only five walks.
• The Boilermakers have surrendered only nine earned runs over the last seven games, winning six times.
• Purdue posted its 13th double-figure strikeout total Sunday, already matching a program-high total since 2005. The Boilermakers have struck out at least 10 batters eight times in the last 11 games. They're averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings during that stretch.
• Purdue's last three walk-off wins had come in neutral-site games. Sunday was the program's first at Alexander Field since May 2017 vs. Northwestern. The Boilermakers have 18 last at-bat wins in three seasons under head coach Mark Wasikowski.
Purdue starter Andrew Bohm struck out six over 5 2/3 innings of six-hit ball. He induced ground ball double plays in each of the final two frames he started. The only run he was charged with scored after he left the mound in the top of the sixth.Hear from Coach @Waz4412 after #Purdue won another pitcher's duel with Penn State to sweep the abbreviated 2-game set.#Boilermakers are now 4-1 in Big Ten play & have won 6 of their last 7 overall. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/9HFUv56oQN
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 1, 2019
Trent Johnson and Bo Hofstra teamed up to strike out nine of the 18 batters they faced over 4 1/3 innings of four-hit relief. Johnson fanned six over 2 1/3 innings and has 18 Ks over 7 2/3 innings in Big Ten play this season. After allowing an inherited runner to score on a two-out single by PSU cleanup hitter Parker Hendershot, Johnson struck out the next five batters he faced. He fanned the Nittany Lions' 6-7-8 hitters in order in the seventh inning.
Hofstra (2-1) has pitched in each of Purdue's last six wins, striking out 10 over 7 2/3 innings of three-hit relief. He fanned the first two batters he faced Sunday.
Owen Jansen's bloop double in the 10th inning led to the game-winning run. Penn State left fielder Gavin Homer lost the ball in the twilight sky and it dropped into short left. Jansen ran out the play and was rewarded with his team-leading eighth double. After Gergely went in as a pinch runner, the freshman took third on a wild pitch. McKenzie battled with two strikes and eventually put the ball in play for the game-deciding play.
Nick Evarts' squeeze-bunt single plated the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth as Purdue quickly pulled even after PSU had scored its only run of the series. A one-out walk to Zac Fascia coupled with a two-base throwing error on a failed pickoff finally gave the Boilermakers a runner at third base. Evarts got the bunt down on the first pitch delivered by PSU relief ace Mason Mellott, who entered the game with a 1-1 count on Evarts.
Defensively, Fascia threw out his 11th base stealer of the season and also picked off a runner at third base after Penn State had runners on the corners with no outs in the fourth inning.
Ryan Howe recorded two of Purdue's five hits to finish the weekend 5-for-7. Skyler Hunter singled and walked, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 22 consecutive games.
The Boilermakers are back in action Wednesday when they host Indiana State for a 6 p.m. ET midweek rematch.
???? WALK IT OFF@cole_mckenzie8 @GERGS12 #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/MMFCqkmdr6
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 1, 2019