BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Purdue baseball scored four times in the third inning and protected its lead with 15 strikeouts on the mound, winning 8-5 at Indiana on Saturday to even the three-game weekend series.
The Boilermakers (2-8) posted season highs in runs and hits (11). Tyler Powers led the way with his fourth career three-hit effort. He ignited the four-run rally with a leadoff single. His one-out double in the sixth inning led to the first of Purdue's three insurance tallies after the Hoosiers (8-2) had made it one-run game in the bottom of the fifth.
Ben Nisle doubled twice and scored twice. Miles Simington delivered a pair of RBI singles.
Eric Hildebrand, Landon Weins and Nolan Daniel teamed up for 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief. Weins went six-up, six-down through the four t0 nine portion of the IU lineup in the seventh and eighth innings. He gave way to Daniel after a leadoff double and walk to open the ninth. Daniel struck out the side to close out the victory and earn his first save as a Boilermaker. With the bases loaded and two outs, Daniel came back from a 3-0 count to finish off the win with a K.
Starter Calvin Schapira struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings of four-run ball. He led the way as the Boilermakers racked up at least 15 strikeouts for the third time this season. Entering the season, Purdue had only seven 15-strikeout games in program history. The Boilermakers set a program-record with 18 Ks in a 10-inning loss to Indiana in Bloomington in April 2019.
For the second year in a row, Purdue hung a loss on the reigning National Pitcher of the Week. IU starter McCade Brown struck out 16 over seven hitless innings vs. Penn State last week and had surrendered only one run on three hits in his first 14 innings of the season. Brown (2-1) struck out eight of the 25 batters he faced Saturday, but the Boilermakers scored five times on five hits and four walks.
The Hoosiers made it a one-run game on a pinch-hit RBI double from Kip Fougerousse in the fifth inning, chasing Schapira. But Hildebrand (1-0) needed only four pitches to bring the inning to an end, striking out the first man he faced and then inducing a ground out on the on the only pitch he threw to pinch hitter Tyler Van Pelt.
Schapira posted a quick zero vs. the heart of IU's lineup in the bottom of third after being staked to the 5-1 lead. The following frame, the lefty induced a 6-4-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk.
Sunday's rubber game is slated for a 1 p.m. ET first pitch.
SATURDAY NOTABLES
• The Boilermakers sent 10 men to the plate in the third inning, each of the first eight reaching first base. After IU cut down the lead runner at third base on a sacrifice bunt, Miles Simington followed with an RBI single. Zac Fascia also delivered an RBI single. Ben Nisle scored on wild pitch.
• Nisle has hit safely in each of the last six games, recording six extra-base hits during the streak. He doubled to left center in the second inning for Purdue's first hit of the day and later delivered an RBI double down the right field line in the eighth inning.
• Simington has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games dating back to the final game of 2020. He has hit safely in nine of the first 10 games this season.
• Skyler Hunter walked twice for the third consecutive game, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 16 consecutive games dating back to May 2019.
• Cam Thompson became the third Boilermaker to record his first collegiate hit this season, simultaneously collecting his first RBI. With Nisle at third base and one out in the second inning, Thompson put the ball in play with two strikes. He beat out the chopper over the mound for an infield single.
• Purdue has led the lead for 14 innings over the first two games of the series after leading for only four innings over the first eight games of the season.
The Boilermakers (2-8) posted season highs in runs and hits (11). Tyler Powers led the way with his fourth career three-hit effort. He ignited the four-run rally with a leadoff single. His one-out double in the sixth inning led to the first of Purdue's three insurance tallies after the Hoosiers (8-2) had made it one-run game in the bottom of the fifth.
Ben Nisle doubled twice and scored twice. Miles Simington delivered a pair of RBI singles.
Eric Hildebrand, Landon Weins and Nolan Daniel teamed up for 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief. Weins went six-up, six-down through the four t0 nine portion of the IU lineup in the seventh and eighth innings. He gave way to Daniel after a leadoff double and walk to open the ninth. Daniel struck out the side to close out the victory and earn his first save as a Boilermaker. With the bases loaded and two outs, Daniel came back from a 3-0 count to finish off the win with a K.
Starter Calvin Schapira struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings of four-run ball. He led the way as the Boilermakers racked up at least 15 strikeouts for the third time this season. Entering the season, Purdue had only seven 15-strikeout games in program history. The Boilermakers set a program-record with 18 Ks in a 10-inning loss to Indiana in Bloomington in April 2019.
For the second year in a row, Purdue hung a loss on the reigning National Pitcher of the Week. IU starter McCade Brown struck out 16 over seven hitless innings vs. Penn State last week and had surrendered only one run on three hits in his first 14 innings of the season. Brown (2-1) struck out eight of the 25 batters he faced Saturday, but the Boilermakers scored five times on five hits and four walks.
The Hoosiers made it a one-run game on a pinch-hit RBI double from Kip Fougerousse in the fifth inning, chasing Schapira. But Hildebrand (1-0) needed only four pitches to bring the inning to an end, striking out the first man he faced and then inducing a ground out on the on the only pitch he threw to pinch hitter Tyler Van Pelt.
Schapira posted a quick zero vs. the heart of IU's lineup in the bottom of third after being staked to the 5-1 lead. The following frame, the lefty induced a 6-4-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk.
Sunday's rubber game is slated for a 1 p.m. ET first pitch.
SATURDAY NOTABLES
• The Boilermakers sent 10 men to the plate in the third inning, each of the first eight reaching first base. After IU cut down the lead runner at third base on a sacrifice bunt, Miles Simington followed with an RBI single. Zac Fascia also delivered an RBI single. Ben Nisle scored on wild pitch.
• Nisle has hit safely in each of the last six games, recording six extra-base hits during the streak. He doubled to left center in the second inning for Purdue's first hit of the day and later delivered an RBI double down the right field line in the eighth inning.
• Simington has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games dating back to the final game of 2020. He has hit safely in nine of the first 10 games this season.
• Skyler Hunter walked twice for the third consecutive game, extending his reached base safely streak in Big Ten play to 16 consecutive games dating back to May 2019.
• Cam Thompson became the third Boilermaker to record his first collegiate hit this season, simultaneously collecting his first RBI. With Nisle at third base and one out in the second inning, Thompson put the ball in play with two strikes. He beat out the chopper over the mound for an infield single.
• Purdue has led the lead for 14 innings over the first two games of the series after leading for only four innings over the first eight games of the season.