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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Western Kentucky scored eight times with two outs, including all of its tallies in a six-run third inning, to defeat Purdue baseball 11-2 Saturday in game 2 of the series.
Sean Bergeron (2-0) went the distance on the mound for the Hilltoppers (10-4), pitching the first nine-inning complete game against the Boilermakers since Houston's Aaron Fletcher on the opening night of the 2018 NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. Bergeron worked four 1-2-3 innings and did not issue a walk while throwing 100 pitches.
Purdue (6-7) scored first for the fourth game in a row but saw its losing streak extend to six consecutive games.
Western Kentucky has outscored the Boilermakers 10-0 in the third inning over the first two games of the series. They've conceded four-plus runs in a frame six times during their skid.
Seven consecutive WKU hitters put together a productive plate appearance in the third inning Saturday. Davis Sims connected for a three-run homer and Kevin Lambert delivered a three-run double. The Hilltoppers hit three home runs Saturday and have 11 extra-base hits over the first two games of the series.
Kyle LaPlante posted his second three-hit game of the season for Purdue. Ben Nisle and Bryce Bonner both singled twice. The Boilermakers scored both of their runs with two outs, with Bonner delivering an RBI single to plate Nisle in the second inning and Evan Albrecht connecting for an RBI double to score LaPlante in the top of the eighth. Albrecht recorded his team-leading 12th RBI, eight coming with two outs.
Tyler Powers and Bonner teamed up to cut down a runner at the plate in the first inning. Powers made a nice pick on a hot shot short-hop to second base and threw home to retire Jack Wilson trying to score on the play. The following frame, Nisle threw out a runner at third base from left field. A runner slid into the plate as the runner was tagged out at third, but the 50-50 call went the way of the home team as the run was counted on the inning-ending play.
Lambert finished the day 3-for-5 with 5 RBI after being WKU's only starter without a hit Friday. The five through eight portion of the Hilltoppers' lineup – Jackson Swiney, Matt Phipps, Matthew Meyer and Lambert – was a combined 9-for-14 with four walks and five runs scored.
Cory Brooks (2-2) surrendered more runs in the third inning (six) than he had in his first 17 innings (four) of the season entering the frame. He went on to retire five consecutive batters but was lifted with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Ricky Castro retired eight of the 13 batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings, his longest outing as a Boilermaker.
Purdue's three strikeouts on the mound matched a season low. Bergeron also had just three strikeouts while facing 36 batters.
The series finale is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Western Kentucky scored eight times with two outs, including all of its tallies in a six-run third inning, to defeat Purdue baseball 11-2 Saturday in game 2 of the series.
Sean Bergeron (2-0) went the distance on the mound for the Hilltoppers (10-4), pitching the first nine-inning complete game against the Boilermakers since Houston's Aaron Fletcher on the opening night of the 2018 NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. Bergeron worked four 1-2-3 innings and did not issue a walk while throwing 100 pitches.
Purdue (6-7) scored first for the fourth game in a row but saw its losing streak extend to six consecutive games.
Western Kentucky has outscored the Boilermakers 10-0 in the third inning over the first two games of the series. They've conceded four-plus runs in a frame six times during their skid.
Seven consecutive WKU hitters put together a productive plate appearance in the third inning Saturday. Davis Sims connected for a three-run homer and Kevin Lambert delivered a three-run double. The Hilltoppers hit three home runs Saturday and have 11 extra-base hits over the first two games of the series.
Kyle LaPlante posted his second three-hit game of the season for Purdue. Ben Nisle and Bryce Bonner both singled twice. The Boilermakers scored both of their runs with two outs, with Bonner delivering an RBI single to plate Nisle in the second inning and Evan Albrecht connecting for an RBI double to score LaPlante in the top of the eighth. Albrecht recorded his team-leading 12th RBI, eight coming with two outs.
Tyler Powers and Bonner teamed up to cut down a runner at the plate in the first inning. Powers made a nice pick on a hot shot short-hop to second base and threw home to retire Jack Wilson trying to score on the play. The following frame, Nisle threw out a runner at third base from left field. A runner slid into the plate as the runner was tagged out at third, but the 50-50 call went the way of the home team as the run was counted on the inning-ending play.
Lambert finished the day 3-for-5 with 5 RBI after being WKU's only starter without a hit Friday. The five through eight portion of the Hilltoppers' lineup – Jackson Swiney, Matt Phipps, Matthew Meyer and Lambert – was a combined 9-for-14 with four walks and five runs scored.
Cory Brooks (2-2) surrendered more runs in the third inning (six) than he had in his first 17 innings (four) of the season entering the frame. He went on to retire five consecutive batters but was lifted with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Ricky Castro retired eight of the 13 batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings, his longest outing as a Boilermaker.
Purdue's three strikeouts on the mound matched a season low. Bergeron also had just three strikeouts while facing 36 batters.
The series finale is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.