WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball scored six unanswered runs over the sixth and seventh innings to rally for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap, salvaging a doubleheader split with Minnesota on Sunday's Senior Day at Alexander Field.
Senior Mason Gavre sparked the comeback with three RBI as the Boilermakers (16-26) overcame a 6-1 deficit. His two-run double highlighted a five-run sixth inning. The first baseman plated the go-ahead run with an RBI single the following frame.
Even though he didn't start either game, Justin Walker Jr. had a big impact on the nightcap. He also delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning after making a leaping catch at shortstop with a runner on second base in the top half of the frame.
Calvin Schapira (2-6) worked three innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in his first relief appearance as a Boilermaker.
Cory Brooks and Jett Jackson both excelled on the mound, conceding three earned runs over a combined 12 innings as Purdue's starting pitchers.
Brooks (3-4) worked 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his final outing as a Boilermaker, keeping the Gophers off the scoreboard after the second inning. He put together his third quality start of the season even while registering just one strikeout. Dating back to his April 25 gem vs. Illinois, Brooks pitched 15 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his final two weekend starts at Alexander. In his two starts vs. Minnesota this year, the right-hander worked 14 2/3 innings of four-run ball.
Senior Ben Nisle made the finest catch of his career at Alexander as a four-year starter in left field. In the third inning of the nightcap, he laid out for a full extension grab on a line drive off the bat of Zack Raabe that was destined to be a two-out RBI double. Nisle singled in his first at-bat of the day to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 consecutive games, but the hit streak was snapped in the nightcap. He did finish his career riding a 14-game on-base streak. Nisle finished the season with an on-base percentage of .421 and slugging percentage of .580, good for an OPS of 1.001. That's just the second 1.000 OPS by a Boilermaker of the BBCOR bat era (since 2011).
Skyler Hunter moved into third place on Purdue's all-time hits list while finishing his final day as a Boilermaker 4-for-9. The switch-hitter capped his career with 268 hits, going 3-for-5 as the leadoff man in the nightcap. His RBI ground out in the sixth inning plated the game-tying run.
Tyler Powers was 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in game 1. At that point, the infielder was 5-for-6 with two walks in the first two games of the pod this weekend and 10-for-12 with seven walks in his last five games dating back to May 21. Powers finished the season with a team-best .352 batting average, Purdue's highest since Eric Charles (.362) in 2012 and best in Big Ten play since Kyle Johnson (.378) in 2015.
Miles Simington threw out a runner at the plate by a wide margin to end the sixth inning of game 1. The senior reached base safely three times on the day, but had to leave the nightcap after getting hit in the head by a pitch in the third inning. Simington initially walked to first base but was lifted moments later. He was able to return to the dugout a few innings later and celebrated the victory on the field with his teammates.
Mike Bolton Jr. bounced back from a tough lefty-lefty matchup in game 1 with a 2-for-3 showing in the nightcap, scoring a pair of runs after entering the game in place of Simington.
Jackson surrendered just one earned run over 4 1/3 innings as the game 2 starter, putting together his besting outing at Alexander Field.
Minnesota (6-31) received eight innings of one-run ball from lefty Jack Liffrig (2-4) in game 1. The only run the Boilermakers scored against him was unearned. They won the season series with Gophers, four games to two, and finished the season having won five of seven.
Purdue recognized eight seniors Sunday, a group that led the program through the uncertainty and obstacles of the last two seasons. It is a group that will dearly missed. The Boilermakers are slated to welcome back Powers, Bolton, Schapira, Jackson, Walker and many other experienced players for the 2022 season.
Senior Mason Gavre sparked the comeback with three RBI as the Boilermakers (16-26) overcame a 6-1 deficit. His two-run double highlighted a five-run sixth inning. The first baseman plated the go-ahead run with an RBI single the following frame.
Even though he didn't start either game, Justin Walker Jr. had a big impact on the nightcap. He also delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning after making a leaping catch at shortstop with a runner on second base in the top half of the frame.
Calvin Schapira (2-6) worked three innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in his first relief appearance as a Boilermaker.
Cory Brooks and Jett Jackson both excelled on the mound, conceding three earned runs over a combined 12 innings as Purdue's starting pitchers.
Brooks (3-4) worked 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his final outing as a Boilermaker, keeping the Gophers off the scoreboard after the second inning. He put together his third quality start of the season even while registering just one strikeout. Dating back to his April 25 gem vs. Illinois, Brooks pitched 15 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his final two weekend starts at Alexander. In his two starts vs. Minnesota this year, the right-hander worked 14 2/3 innings of four-run ball.
Senior Ben Nisle made the finest catch of his career at Alexander as a four-year starter in left field. In the third inning of the nightcap, he laid out for a full extension grab on a line drive off the bat of Zack Raabe that was destined to be a two-out RBI double. Nisle singled in his first at-bat of the day to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 consecutive games, but the hit streak was snapped in the nightcap. He did finish his career riding a 14-game on-base streak. Nisle finished the season with an on-base percentage of .421 and slugging percentage of .580, good for an OPS of 1.001. That's just the second 1.000 OPS by a Boilermaker of the BBCOR bat era (since 2011).
Skyler Hunter moved into third place on Purdue's all-time hits list while finishing his final day as a Boilermaker 4-for-9. The switch-hitter capped his career with 268 hits, going 3-for-5 as the leadoff man in the nightcap. His RBI ground out in the sixth inning plated the game-tying run.
Tyler Powers was 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in game 1. At that point, the infielder was 5-for-6 with two walks in the first two games of the pod this weekend and 10-for-12 with seven walks in his last five games dating back to May 21. Powers finished the season with a team-best .352 batting average, Purdue's highest since Eric Charles (.362) in 2012 and best in Big Ten play since Kyle Johnson (.378) in 2015.
Miles Simington threw out a runner at the plate by a wide margin to end the sixth inning of game 1. The senior reached base safely three times on the day, but had to leave the nightcap after getting hit in the head by a pitch in the third inning. Simington initially walked to first base but was lifted moments later. He was able to return to the dugout a few innings later and celebrated the victory on the field with his teammates.
Mike Bolton Jr. bounced back from a tough lefty-lefty matchup in game 1 with a 2-for-3 showing in the nightcap, scoring a pair of runs after entering the game in place of Simington.
Jackson surrendered just one earned run over 4 1/3 innings as the game 2 starter, putting together his besting outing at Alexander Field.
Minnesota (6-31) received eight innings of one-run ball from lefty Jack Liffrig (2-4) in game 1. The only run the Boilermakers scored against him was unearned. They won the season series with Gophers, four games to two, and finished the season having won five of seven.
Purdue recognized eight seniors Sunday, a group that led the program through the uncertainty and obstacles of the last two seasons. It is a group that will dearly missed. The Boilermakers are slated to welcome back Powers, Bolton, Schapira, Jackson, Walker and many other experienced players for the 2022 season.