CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Trent Johnson and Cory Brooks combined for 12 innings of four-run ball as the starting pitchers and Purdue baseball scored six times in the ninth inning to sweep a doubleheader with Michigan State and Illinois on Sunday.
The Boilermakers (9-15) scored four runs in the top of the ninth vs. MSU (11-15) to blow the game open in an 8-3 victory. Miles Simington's two-run double broke a stalemate in the ninth inning of the nightcap and was the difference in a 6-4 win vs. Illinois (10-13).
Purdue has won four straight games and five of its last six. The Boilermakers defeated two different teams on the same day for the first time since beating Saint Louis and Incarnate Word in February 2018 at the Alamo Irish Classic in San Antonio. Purdue's last traditional doubleheader sweep was about a month later at Penn State.
The Boilermakers won three of four in the season series with MSU. By winning the final three meetings dating back to Monday, it marked the first time since May 2005 (vs. Iowa) that Purdue rallied to win a four-game regular-season series vs. any opponent. Including a Big Ten Tournament matchup, the Boilermakers also won three straight vs. MSU in 2009 after dropping the series opener in East Lansing.
Purdue snapped an eight-game losing streak vs. the Fighting Illini in Champaign, defeating Illinois on its home field for the first time since the 2014 Big Ten opener.
The Boilermakers have scored 26 ninth-inning runs, including seven this weekend, in its 24 games this season. In the MSU win Sunday, Purdue scored seven of its eight runs with two outs.
Ben Nisle hit a two-run homer in the first inning vs. Illinois, his team-leading fifth long ball of the season and 14th career. He homered for the third consecutive weekend. Nisle reached base safely four times vs. the Spartans and finished the day with five RBI. Nisle and Simington are both riding 13-game reached base safely streaks.
Monday's pitching matchup vs. Illinois is slated to be Jett Jackson vs. Aidan Maldonado. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
PITCHING NOTABLES
• Trent Johnson struck out eight and did not walk a batter over seven-plus innings of two-run ball vs. Michigan State. Both runs he allowed were leadoff homers by Bailey Peterson. Johnson has pitched at least six innings in four of his last five starts and has given Purdue a quality start in three of those four outings. With 170 career strikeouts, he moved into 15th place in program history.
• Cory Brooks worked five strong innings for the second weekend in a row, limiting the Illini to only three hits over five-plus frames. Even while plunking the first batter of the fourth inning, Brooks threw only four pitches in the frame. It marked the second time this weekend a Purdue pitcher enjoyed an easy four-pitch inning.
• Brooks teamed up with relievers Nolan Daniel and Avery Cook to hold Illinois to four runs on four hits, with three of those runs scoring on homers. The Illini entered the game having scoring 28 runs in their two games with Michigan State this weekend.
• Landon Weins and Cook both worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out victories. In the eighth inning vs. MSU, Weins escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep Purdue in front 4-3. His teammates then put a four-spot on the board in the following frame. Weins earned his first save as a Boilermaker and became the fourth Purdue pitcher with a save this season.
• Cook has retired 15 of the 18 batters he has faced this season over six appearances.
HITTING NOTABLES
• Ryan Howe, Skyler Hunter and Simington all had four hits on the day. Hunter was 3-for-4 with a double, walk and three runs scored in the Illinois win, igniting the ninth-inning rally with an infield single. The five-year starter in center field recorded at least three hits for the 15th time and his 71st career multi-hit game overall. He also moved into fifth place in program history with 242 career hits. Hunter played in his 200th career game Sunday. He has been on base safely in 11 consecutive games.
• Simington registered his third two-double game of the season in the Illinois win. He has 10 doubles in the last 12 games and recorded a pair of hits in both games Sunday.
• Jake Parr delivered a two-out RBI single in each of his first two at-bats as the designated hitter in the MSU win. The second of his two hits was sandwiched in between Mason Gavre's RBI double and Howe's RBI triple. Mike Bolton Jr. reached base safely three times as the DH in the nightcap, scoring in the ninth inning of both games.
The Boilermakers (9-15) scored four runs in the top of the ninth vs. MSU (11-15) to blow the game open in an 8-3 victory. Miles Simington's two-run double broke a stalemate in the ninth inning of the nightcap and was the difference in a 6-4 win vs. Illinois (10-13).
Purdue has won four straight games and five of its last six. The Boilermakers defeated two different teams on the same day for the first time since beating Saint Louis and Incarnate Word in February 2018 at the Alamo Irish Classic in San Antonio. Purdue's last traditional doubleheader sweep was about a month later at Penn State.
The Boilermakers won three of four in the season series with MSU. By winning the final three meetings dating back to Monday, it marked the first time since May 2005 (vs. Iowa) that Purdue rallied to win a four-game regular-season series vs. any opponent. Including a Big Ten Tournament matchup, the Boilermakers also won three straight vs. MSU in 2009 after dropping the series opener in East Lansing.
Purdue snapped an eight-game losing streak vs. the Fighting Illini in Champaign, defeating Illinois on its home field for the first time since the 2014 Big Ten opener.
The Boilermakers have scored 26 ninth-inning runs, including seven this weekend, in its 24 games this season. In the MSU win Sunday, Purdue scored seven of its eight runs with two outs.
Ben Nisle hit a two-run homer in the first inning vs. Illinois, his team-leading fifth long ball of the season and 14th career. He homered for the third consecutive weekend. Nisle reached base safely four times vs. the Spartans and finished the day with five RBI. Nisle and Simington are both riding 13-game reached base safely streaks.
Monday's pitching matchup vs. Illinois is slated to be Jett Jackson vs. Aidan Maldonado. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
PITCHING NOTABLES
• Trent Johnson struck out eight and did not walk a batter over seven-plus innings of two-run ball vs. Michigan State. Both runs he allowed were leadoff homers by Bailey Peterson. Johnson has pitched at least six innings in four of his last five starts and has given Purdue a quality start in three of those four outings. With 170 career strikeouts, he moved into 15th place in program history.
• Cory Brooks worked five strong innings for the second weekend in a row, limiting the Illini to only three hits over five-plus frames. Even while plunking the first batter of the fourth inning, Brooks threw only four pitches in the frame. It marked the second time this weekend a Purdue pitcher enjoyed an easy four-pitch inning.
• Brooks teamed up with relievers Nolan Daniel and Avery Cook to hold Illinois to four runs on four hits, with three of those runs scoring on homers. The Illini entered the game having scoring 28 runs in their two games with Michigan State this weekend.
• Landon Weins and Cook both worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out victories. In the eighth inning vs. MSU, Weins escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep Purdue in front 4-3. His teammates then put a four-spot on the board in the following frame. Weins earned his first save as a Boilermaker and became the fourth Purdue pitcher with a save this season.
• Cook has retired 15 of the 18 batters he has faced this season over six appearances.
HITTING NOTABLES
• Ryan Howe, Skyler Hunter and Simington all had four hits on the day. Hunter was 3-for-4 with a double, walk and three runs scored in the Illinois win, igniting the ninth-inning rally with an infield single. The five-year starter in center field recorded at least three hits for the 15th time and his 71st career multi-hit game overall. He also moved into fifth place in program history with 242 career hits. Hunter played in his 200th career game Sunday. He has been on base safely in 11 consecutive games.
• Simington registered his third two-double game of the season in the Illinois win. He has 10 doubles in the last 12 games and recorded a pair of hits in both games Sunday.
• Jake Parr delivered a two-out RBI single in each of his first two at-bats as the designated hitter in the MSU win. The second of his two hits was sandwiched in between Mason Gavre's RBI double and Howe's RBI triple. Mike Bolton Jr. reached base safely three times as the DH in the nightcap, scoring in the ninth inning of both games.