WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 19 Purdue baseball was victorious in both wire-to-wire and walk-off fashion Sunday at Alexander Field, sweeping a doubleheader with Illinois State to improve to 5-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
The Boilermakers won 9-2 and 7-6 in 10 innings, posting their first doubleheader sweep at home since April 2012. In the nightcap, they coughed up an early 4-1 lead but rallied to tie it with a run in the ninth inning before winning in walk-off fashion for the fifth time this season on a two-out single from Evan Albrecht in the 10th.
At 17-1, Purdue is enjoying its best one-loss start in team history. Sunday's doubleheader sweep gave the Boilermakers a victory in the split-site series after ISU (7-8) won Thursday's series opener in Normal in 11 innings.
Cam Thompson homered to left field in both games, becoming the first Boilermaker to go deep in both ends of a doubleheader since Jacson McGowan on the opening day of the 2018 campaign. Thompson's team-leading fourth and fifth long balls of the season extended his RBI streak to 11 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 18 straight. Thompson reached base safely five times in game 1 Sunday and continues to lead the Big Ten with 28 RBI.
Mike Bolton Jr. has also reached base safely in every game this season. He tripled over the center fielder's head to open the ninth inning of the nightcap, scoring the tying run on an RBI ground out from Curtis Washington Jr.
Wyatt Wendell struck out a season-high 10 over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball as the winning pitcher in game 1. He joined Jackson Smeltz (3) as Boilermakers with a 10-strikeout game this season. Wendell worked four 1-2-3 innings, going through the 1 through 6 portion of the ISU lineup in order twice. Troy Wansing struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings in the nightcap, also setting a season high for Ks.
Top Defensive Plays of the Day
• Evan Albrecht prevented the go-ahead run from scoring in the 10th inning of the nightcap with a diving stop behind the second base bag, denying ISU's Aidan Huggins a five-hit game when he threw out the left fielder for the second out of the frame.
• Curtis Washington Jr. threw out Huggins at third base from center field for the first out of the seventh inning, with Purdue clinging to a 5-4 lead at the time. It was his second outfield assist of the season and Purdue's sixth of year.
• Tanner Haston made a leaping catch on the warning track before crashing into the right field fence for the first out of the ninth inning of game 1.
• Troy Viola made a running catch in foul territory with his back to home plate deep down the left field line, accounting for the first out of the fifth inning of game 1.
Washington hit his first home run as a Boilermaker in the sixth inning of game 1, a line shot into the left field bullpen to lead off the inning.
Albrecht had two hits in both games, taking over the team lead in batting average (.362) while extending his on-base streak to 10 consecutive games.
Paul Toetz's two-run double highlighted a three-RBI performance in the game 1 win.
The Boilermakers continue their seven-game homestand Tuesday when they host Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers won 9-2 and 7-6 in 10 innings, posting their first doubleheader sweep at home since April 2012. In the nightcap, they coughed up an early 4-1 lead but rallied to tie it with a run in the ninth inning before winning in walk-off fashion for the fifth time this season on a two-out single from Evan Albrecht in the 10th.
At 17-1, Purdue is enjoying its best one-loss start in team history. Sunday's doubleheader sweep gave the Boilermakers a victory in the split-site series after ISU (7-8) won Thursday's series opener in Normal in 11 innings.
Cam Thompson homered to left field in both games, becoming the first Boilermaker to go deep in both ends of a doubleheader since Jacson McGowan on the opening day of the 2018 campaign. Thompson's team-leading fourth and fifth long balls of the season extended his RBI streak to 11 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 18 straight. Thompson reached base safely five times in game 1 Sunday and continues to lead the Big Ten with 28 RBI.
Mike Bolton Jr. has also reached base safely in every game this season. He tripled over the center fielder's head to open the ninth inning of the nightcap, scoring the tying run on an RBI ground out from Curtis Washington Jr.
Wyatt Wendell struck out a season-high 10 over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball as the winning pitcher in game 1. He joined Jackson Smeltz (3) as Boilermakers with a 10-strikeout game this season. Wendell worked four 1-2-3 innings, going through the 1 through 6 portion of the ISU lineup in order twice. Troy Wansing struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings in the nightcap, also setting a season high for Ks.
Top Defensive Plays of the Day
• Evan Albrecht prevented the go-ahead run from scoring in the 10th inning of the nightcap with a diving stop behind the second base bag, denying ISU's Aidan Huggins a five-hit game when he threw out the left fielder for the second out of the frame.
• Curtis Washington Jr. threw out Huggins at third base from center field for the first out of the seventh inning, with Purdue clinging to a 5-4 lead at the time. It was his second outfield assist of the season and Purdue's sixth of year.
• Tanner Haston made a leaping catch on the warning track before crashing into the right field fence for the first out of the ninth inning of game 1.
• Troy Viola made a running catch in foul territory with his back to home plate deep down the left field line, accounting for the first out of the fifth inning of game 1.
CJ Valdez delivered an RBI single early in both wins, including a two-out, two-run single to punctuate Purdue's four-run rally in the third inning of the nightcap. Valdez has reached base safely in all 15 games he has played this season.#4faves from the walkoff celebration for @PurdueBaseball tonight. pic.twitter.com/ReLhIZU5sy
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 21, 2022
Washington hit his first home run as a Boilermaker in the sixth inning of game 1, a line shot into the left field bullpen to lead off the inning.
Albrecht had two hits in both games, taking over the team lead in batting average (.362) while extending his on-base streak to 10 consecutive games.
Paul Toetz's two-run double highlighted a three-RBI performance in the game 1 win.
The Boilermakers continue their seven-game homestand Tuesday when they host Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. ET.