WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Mason Gavre's three-run homer capped a memorable ninth-inning rally as Purdue baseball's bats came to life in a big way for a 7-4 walk-off victory vs. Rutgers on Saturday at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers (3-10) sent nine men to the plate and racked up seven runs on five hits in the frame after producing just six hits over the first eight innings of the day. It was Purdue's second walk-off win of the season after also beating Nebraska in the bottom of the ninth in the March 5 season opener in Texas.
The Boilermakers have scored 12 runs in the first two games of the series, 11 coming in the ninth inning. Friday, Cam Thompson hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth of a 7-5 loss. Gavre replaced Thompson at first base in the top of the seventh inning Saturday. Both players hit their first Purdue home runs this weekend.
Tyler Powers singled four times for his first collegiate four-hit game and the first of the season by a Boilermaker. His RBI single in the ninth inning plated run No. 3 of the rally. Powers is 10-for-17 at the plate since March 20. Miles Simington's sacrifice fly scored the tying run in the ninth and set the stage for Gavre's heroics.
The game was a pitcher's duel over the first six innings. The Scarlet Knights (7-6) chased Calvin Schapira and broke the scoreless stalemate with an extended rally in the top of the seventh. Chris Brito's two-out, three-run double was the big blow. But it was the only frame of the day in which the visitors scored. Jackson Smeltz gave up the double to Brito before settling into a groove, retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced. Smeltz (2-0) has been the winning pitcher in both of Purdue's walk-off victories this year.
Rutgers starter Ben Wereski struck out eight and did not walk a batter over seven innings of four-hit ball. Over the first two games of the series, Purdue has 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings vs. RU relief pitchers and just seven hits over 15 1/3 innings against the starters.
The rubber game of the series is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
SATURDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue's seven-run rally was it most prolific game-winning surge in the ninth inning since scoring five times in the top of the ninth in a 10-8 win at Ball State in May 2018. That proved to be the coda of a program-record 13-game win streak.
• Saturday was the Boilermakers' ninth walk-off win at Alexander Field since the stadium opened in 2013. Mason Gavre accounted for the first walk-off home run at the ballpark. Ryne White was the last Boilermaker to hit a walk-off homer, a solo shot in the ninth inning of an April 2006 win vs. Illinois State at Lambert Field.
• Jake Parr's pinch-hit single was the first of Purdue's five hits in the ninth inning. It was also his first collegiate hit, becoming the fourth Boilermaker to record his first hit this season.
• Calvin Schapira worked 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out five. Both runs he was charged with scored after he left the mound in the seventh. It was his first quality start as a Boilermaker and the second of the season by a Purdue pitcher.
• Tyler Powers has hit safely in five consecutive games and reached base safely in seven straight. Powers also made a pair of diving plays at third base to take away two singles in the sixth inning. It proved to be Schapira's lone 1-2-3 frame.
• Kyle LaPlante (single), Evan Albrecht (RBI single) and Ben Nisle (HBP) also reached base safely in the ninth inning. Parr scored on a wild pitch. Albrecht scored the tying run on Miles Simington's sacrifice fly.
The Boilermakers (3-10) sent nine men to the plate and racked up seven runs on five hits in the frame after producing just six hits over the first eight innings of the day. It was Purdue's second walk-off win of the season after also beating Nebraska in the bottom of the ninth in the March 5 season opener in Texas.
The Boilermakers have scored 12 runs in the first two games of the series, 11 coming in the ninth inning. Friday, Cam Thompson hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth of a 7-5 loss. Gavre replaced Thompson at first base in the top of the seventh inning Saturday. Both players hit their first Purdue home runs this weekend.
Tyler Powers singled four times for his first collegiate four-hit game and the first of the season by a Boilermaker. His RBI single in the ninth inning plated run No. 3 of the rally. Powers is 10-for-17 at the plate since March 20. Miles Simington's sacrifice fly scored the tying run in the ninth and set the stage for Gavre's heroics.
The game was a pitcher's duel over the first six innings. The Scarlet Knights (7-6) chased Calvin Schapira and broke the scoreless stalemate with an extended rally in the top of the seventh. Chris Brito's two-out, three-run double was the big blow. But it was the only frame of the day in which the visitors scored. Jackson Smeltz gave up the double to Brito before settling into a groove, retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced. Smeltz (2-0) has been the winning pitcher in both of Purdue's walk-off victories this year.
Rutgers starter Ben Wereski struck out eight and did not walk a batter over seven innings of four-hit ball. Over the first two games of the series, Purdue has 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings vs. RU relief pitchers and just seven hits over 15 1/3 innings against the starters.
The rubber game of the series is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
SATURDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue's seven-run rally was it most prolific game-winning surge in the ninth inning since scoring five times in the top of the ninth in a 10-8 win at Ball State in May 2018. That proved to be the coda of a program-record 13-game win streak.
• Saturday was the Boilermakers' ninth walk-off win at Alexander Field since the stadium opened in 2013. Mason Gavre accounted for the first walk-off home run at the ballpark. Ryne White was the last Boilermaker to hit a walk-off homer, a solo shot in the ninth inning of an April 2006 win vs. Illinois State at Lambert Field.
• Jake Parr's pinch-hit single was the first of Purdue's five hits in the ninth inning. It was also his first collegiate hit, becoming the fourth Boilermaker to record his first hit this season.
• Calvin Schapira worked 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out five. Both runs he was charged with scored after he left the mound in the seventh. It was his first quality start as a Boilermaker and the second of the season by a Purdue pitcher.
• Tyler Powers has hit safely in five consecutive games and reached base safely in seven straight. Powers also made a pair of diving plays at third base to take away two singles in the sixth inning. It proved to be Schapira's lone 1-2-3 frame.
• Kyle LaPlante (single), Evan Albrecht (RBI single) and Ben Nisle (HBP) also reached base safely in the ninth inning. Parr scored on a wild pitch. Albrecht scored the tying run on Miles Simington's sacrifice fly.