NORMAL, Ill. – No. 19 Purdue baseball scored twice in the ninth inning to extend the game, but Illinois State scored on a two-out wild pitch in the 11th to hand the Boilermakers their first loss of the season in a 4-3 final Thursday.
As the final team in the nation to lose this season, Purdue's program-record 16-game win streak came to an end. It matched the 16-game streak the program enjoyed from May 1908 through May 1909. The 15 consecutive victories to begin the season was the longest single-season run in team history.
The Boilermakers (15-1) were held hitless until the seventh inning and managed to score their three runs on just three hits. Evan Albrecht's leadoff double ignited a two-run rally in the top of the ninth. Cam Thompson plated the game-tying run with a fielder's choice ground ball, extending his RBI streak to nine consecutive games.
Along with its four walk-off wins, Purdue has rallied in its final at-bat to extend the game three times this season. The Boilermakers have now scored 10 runs in the ninth inning despite batting in the frame just six times in their first 16 games.
With the bases loaded in the 11th inning, Luke Cheng scored the game-winning run on a pitch to the backstop, the first offering delivered by Khal Stephen to JP Gauthier. Stephen retired the first seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, his longest outing of the season.
Jackson Smeltz struck out six over six innings of two-run ball, registering his second quality start of the season. His counterpart Derek Salata allowed only four baserunners over seven innings. Purdue had its leadoff man reach safely to begin the second and third innings, but Salata induced a ground ball double from the next batter in both frames.
Curtis Washington Jr. singled twice and drew a walk in the 11th inning. He broke up Salata's no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the seventh inning and scored Purdue's first run on a unique play. After swiping second base for his 10th steal and taking third when the throw went into center field, Washington was initially held on a fly ball into short right field. But the quality throw home skipped through the catcher's legs and allowed Washington to score easily.
With Albrecht and Mike Bolton Jr. aboard in the ninth inning, Washington executed a perfect bunt down the third base line that didn't even draw a throw to first. CJ Valdez drew a bases-loaded walk to force home a run. With a 2-2 count, Thompson put the ball in play. ISU third baseman Nick Gile initially wanted to throw home but couldn't find the ears on it and had to settle for stepping on third base as Bolton scored the tying run.
Bolton and Washington reached safely to open the 11th inning, but the Redbirds (7-6) escaped the jam while going through the 3-4-5 portion of the Purdue lineup, surviving a dropped foul ball along the way.
Smeltz struck out the side around a two-out walk in the first inning. He also pitched over a leadoff double in the fourth inning. But ISU scored twice on three hits in the bottom of the third.
Bolton and Thompson have reached base safely in all 16 games this season. Valdez extended his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games.
Purdue's last defeat in a road game was also in walk-off fashion, in the finale of a May 2021 series at Minnesota. The Boilermakers had not lost a road game in extra innings since falling in 12 in May 2019 at Illinois.
The four-game split-site series continues Friday with a 3 p.m. ET game in Normal. The series moves to West Lafayette on Saturday.
As the final team in the nation to lose this season, Purdue's program-record 16-game win streak came to an end. It matched the 16-game streak the program enjoyed from May 1908 through May 1909. The 15 consecutive victories to begin the season was the longest single-season run in team history.
The Boilermakers (15-1) were held hitless until the seventh inning and managed to score their three runs on just three hits. Evan Albrecht's leadoff double ignited a two-run rally in the top of the ninth. Cam Thompson plated the game-tying run with a fielder's choice ground ball, extending his RBI streak to nine consecutive games.
Along with its four walk-off wins, Purdue has rallied in its final at-bat to extend the game three times this season. The Boilermakers have now scored 10 runs in the ninth inning despite batting in the frame just six times in their first 16 games.
With the bases loaded in the 11th inning, Luke Cheng scored the game-winning run on a pitch to the backstop, the first offering delivered by Khal Stephen to JP Gauthier. Stephen retired the first seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, his longest outing of the season.
Jackson Smeltz struck out six over six innings of two-run ball, registering his second quality start of the season. His counterpart Derek Salata allowed only four baserunners over seven innings. Purdue had its leadoff man reach safely to begin the second and third innings, but Salata induced a ground ball double from the next batter in both frames.
Curtis Washington Jr. singled twice and drew a walk in the 11th inning. He broke up Salata's no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the seventh inning and scored Purdue's first run on a unique play. After swiping second base for his 10th steal and taking third when the throw went into center field, Washington was initially held on a fly ball into short right field. But the quality throw home skipped through the catcher's legs and allowed Washington to score easily.
With Albrecht and Mike Bolton Jr. aboard in the ninth inning, Washington executed a perfect bunt down the third base line that didn't even draw a throw to first. CJ Valdez drew a bases-loaded walk to force home a run. With a 2-2 count, Thompson put the ball in play. ISU third baseman Nick Gile initially wanted to throw home but couldn't find the ears on it and had to settle for stepping on third base as Bolton scored the tying run.
Bolton and Washington reached safely to open the 11th inning, but the Redbirds (7-6) escaped the jam while going through the 3-4-5 portion of the Purdue lineup, surviving a dropped foul ball along the way.
Smeltz struck out the side around a two-out walk in the first inning. He also pitched over a leadoff double in the fourth inning. But ISU scored twice on three hits in the bottom of the third.
Bolton and Thompson have reached base safely in all 16 games this season. Valdez extended his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games.
Purdue's last defeat in a road game was also in walk-off fashion, in the finale of a May 2021 series at Minnesota. The Boilermakers had not lost a road game in extra innings since falling in 12 in May 2019 at Illinois.
The four-game split-site series continues Friday with a 3 p.m. ET game in Normal. The series moves to West Lafayette on Saturday.