WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In his final outing as a Boilermaker, senior Trent Johnson registered four consecutive zeros while working five innings of two-run relief, leading Purdue baseball to a 7-4 victory Saturday vs. Penn State in a game that was originally suspended Thursday due to lightning and rain.
Skyler Hunter led the way offensively with his third career four-hit game, and second of the month, running his career hit total to 264. The senior switch-hitter will enter the final day of the season Sunday two hits shy of third place (266) in team history.
Tyler Powers continued his hot streak dating back to May 21 when he walked late in game 2 of the Minnesota series. Powers was 2-for-3 with an RBI single and hit-and-run single Saturday. Over the last four games, he's 7-for-9 with six walks, six runs scored and an .867 on-base percentage. Powers also made the top defensive play of the day – a diving stop behind the second base bag in the fifth inning. He flipped the ball behind his back to Evan Albrecht and the shortstop completed a 6-4-3 double play.
The Boilermakers (15-25) scored three times in the fourth and seventh innings to overcome a 2-1 deficit entering the day. Action was stopped in the middle of the third inning Thursday and Friday's schedule was rained out. Purdue ended up winning two of three in the season series with PSU (17-24) after the team split two neutral-site meetings the weekend of April 10 to 11 in East Lansing.
Johnson was Purdue's scheduled starter for Friday afternoon vs. Penn State. Instead he opened Saturday's action on the mound. The Boilermakers had already gone ahead 7-2 when the Nittany Lions finally got to Johnson via a two-run homer from Johnny Piacentino in the eighth inning. Johnson did not walk a batter over his five innings. He left the game in the top of the ninth to a standing ovation from the fans at Alexander Field and his teammates in the dugout. Classmate Cory Brooks had the honor of going out to the mound to make the pitching change. Brooks is slated to close out his Purdue career Sunday as the starting pitcher in game 1 of the doubleheader vs. Minnesota.
Zac Fascia connected for a home run to right field to lead off the fourth inning, his eighth long ball as a Boilermaker and first at Alexander Field this season.
Ben Nisle extended his career-long and team season-best hit streak to 12 consecutive games with an RBI single in the first inning Thursday. He also has an RBI in seven straight games. Nisle will enter the final day of the season with a 1.031 OPS and an opportunity to become just the second Boilermaker of the BBCOR bat era (since 2011) to post a 1.000+ OPS.
Johnson closed out his career with 188 strikeouts in 182 career innings. His mark of 9.30 strikeouts per nine innings now officially goes into the record book as the top benchmark for pitchers with a minimum 125 career innings. With 73 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings in 2019, he also set a single-season record (10.89) of Ks per nine (minimum 60 innings).
Hunter doubled in his lone at-bat Thursday and in his first at-bat Saturday. It was his fourth career two-double game. He delivered a two-out, two-run single to punctuate the scoring in the seventh inning.
Purdue executed a hit and run and squeeze bunt on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning. With Ryan Howe in motion, Powers chopped a ball into the vacated right side to put runners on the corners. Albrecht got the bunt down on the next pitch, allowing Howe to score without a throw.
The Big Ten Network is slated to televise both games of Sunday's season-ending doubleheader. Purdue will recognize 12 seniors – eight players and four members of the support staff – between games for their contributions to the program.
Skyler Hunter led the way offensively with his third career four-hit game, and second of the month, running his career hit total to 264. The senior switch-hitter will enter the final day of the season Sunday two hits shy of third place (266) in team history.
Tyler Powers continued his hot streak dating back to May 21 when he walked late in game 2 of the Minnesota series. Powers was 2-for-3 with an RBI single and hit-and-run single Saturday. Over the last four games, he's 7-for-9 with six walks, six runs scored and an .867 on-base percentage. Powers also made the top defensive play of the day – a diving stop behind the second base bag in the fifth inning. He flipped the ball behind his back to Evan Albrecht and the shortstop completed a 6-4-3 double play.
The Boilermakers (15-25) scored three times in the fourth and seventh innings to overcome a 2-1 deficit entering the day. Action was stopped in the middle of the third inning Thursday and Friday's schedule was rained out. Purdue ended up winning two of three in the season series with PSU (17-24) after the team split two neutral-site meetings the weekend of April 10 to 11 in East Lansing.
Johnson was Purdue's scheduled starter for Friday afternoon vs. Penn State. Instead he opened Saturday's action on the mound. The Boilermakers had already gone ahead 7-2 when the Nittany Lions finally got to Johnson via a two-run homer from Johnny Piacentino in the eighth inning. Johnson did not walk a batter over his five innings. He left the game in the top of the ninth to a standing ovation from the fans at Alexander Field and his teammates in the dugout. Classmate Cory Brooks had the honor of going out to the mound to make the pitching change. Brooks is slated to close out his Purdue career Sunday as the starting pitcher in game 1 of the doubleheader vs. Minnesota.
Zac Fascia connected for a home run to right field to lead off the fourth inning, his eighth long ball as a Boilermaker and first at Alexander Field this season.
Ben Nisle extended his career-long and team season-best hit streak to 12 consecutive games with an RBI single in the first inning Thursday. He also has an RBI in seven straight games. Nisle will enter the final day of the season with a 1.031 OPS and an opportunity to become just the second Boilermaker of the BBCOR bat era (since 2011) to post a 1.000+ OPS.
Johnson closed out his career with 188 strikeouts in 182 career innings. His mark of 9.30 strikeouts per nine innings now officially goes into the record book as the top benchmark for pitchers with a minimum 125 career innings. With 73 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings in 2019, he also set a single-season record (10.89) of Ks per nine (minimum 60 innings).
Hunter doubled in his lone at-bat Thursday and in his first at-bat Saturday. It was his fourth career two-double game. He delivered a two-out, two-run single to punctuate the scoring in the seventh inning.
Purdue executed a hit and run and squeeze bunt on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning. With Ryan Howe in motion, Powers chopped a ball into the vacated right side to put runners on the corners. Albrecht got the bunt down on the next pitch, allowing Howe to score without a throw.
The Big Ten Network is slated to televise both games of Sunday's season-ending doubleheader. Purdue will recognize 12 seniors – eight players and four members of the support staff – between games for their contributions to the program.
#4faves from the final outing for @trentjohnson__8 today as a member of @PurdueBaseball. pic.twitter.com/Ic4xS6tL3T
— Dave Wegiel Photo (Taylor's Version) (@pinolaphoto) May 30, 2021