WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Curtis Washington Jr. and Cam Thompson hit two-run homers to left field only eight pitches apart in the third inning, flipping the momentum and igniting a comeback as No. 17 Purdue baseball overcame an early four-run deficit to defeat Ohio State 7-5 in the Big Ten opener for both teams Friday at Alexander Field.
Landon Weins worked 5 1/3 innings of scoreless two-hit relief, retiring 13 of the 15 batters he faced in his finest outing as a Boilermaker. The senior closed out the game by setting down 11 in a row.
Purdue (18-1, 1-0 B1G) won its Big Ten opener for the fifth straight season dating back to 2017. The Boilermakers are 6-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
Thompson finished a double shy of the cycle as part of three-hit game, scoring three times. He homered for the third consecutive games, becoming the first Boilermaker to accomplish the feat since Jacson McGowan in February 2018. It was his team-leading sixth homer this season.
Thompson's leadoff triple to center field in the bottom of the fifth, which he hit just as far as the homer to left in his previous at-bat, led to the go-ahead run. Troy Viola followed with an RBI ground out after the Buckeyes (8-12, 0-1 B1G) opted to play the infield back.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• The 4-0 deficit entering the bottom of the third matched Purdue's biggest of the season, also trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the eighth March 6 vs. Longwood. The Boilermakers rallied to win both games.
• Cam Thompson's two-run homer extended his RBI streak to 12 consecutive games and gave him 30 RBI for the season. Purdue's team leader in RBI during the 42-game campaign a year ago finished the season with 29.
• Evan Albrecht doubled twice as part of his team-leading fifth three-hit game of the season. He's been on base in 11 consecutive games and continues to lead the team with a .387 batting average while hitting exclusively in the 9-hole.
• CJ Valdez and Thompson both reached base safely three times and have been on base in every game they've played this season.
• Landon Weins has now worked 15 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. He lowered his team-leading ERA to 0.79 in 22 2/3 innings.
• Leadoff man Mike Bolton Jr. drew two free passes to extend his reached base safely streak to 20 consecutive games dating back to the 2021 finale. He stole second base both times he was aboard, taking sole possession of the Big Ten lead with 14 steals.
• Purdue snapped a nine-game losing streak to Ohio State in West Lafayette that dated back to April 2014.
Albrecht doubled again in the fourth inning and then stole third base on the first pitch to the left-handed hitting Bolton. Albrecht was able to trot home when the OSU catcher rushed a throw to second base with Bolton in motion, missing wide of the bag on a throw that bounded into center field.
Weins (2-0) surrendered leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth innings, but erased the runners with a 4-6-3 double play and pickoff at first base. Second baseman Paul Toetz was able to handle a bad hop while starting the twin killing.
Ohio State ran into an out at the plate on a failed walk-off play with two outs and runners on the corners after Weins entered the game in the top of the fourth. Thompson pursued the trail runner between first and second base before throwing home in time to cut down the runner trying to slide in at the plate.
The series is scheduled to continue Saturday at 1 p.m. but with the forecasted temperatures dropping, a doubleheader Sunday is a possibility. Big Ten rules dictate the real feel temperature must by at least 28 degrees to start a game.
Landon Weins worked 5 1/3 innings of scoreless two-hit relief, retiring 13 of the 15 batters he faced in his finest outing as a Boilermaker. The senior closed out the game by setting down 11 in a row.
Purdue (18-1, 1-0 B1G) won its Big Ten opener for the fifth straight season dating back to 2017. The Boilermakers are 6-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
Thompson finished a double shy of the cycle as part of three-hit game, scoring three times. He homered for the third consecutive games, becoming the first Boilermaker to accomplish the feat since Jacson McGowan in February 2018. It was his team-leading sixth homer this season.
Thompson's leadoff triple to center field in the bottom of the fifth, which he hit just as far as the homer to left in his previous at-bat, led to the go-ahead run. Troy Viola followed with an RBI ground out after the Buckeyes (8-12, 0-1 B1G) opted to play the infield back.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• The 4-0 deficit entering the bottom of the third matched Purdue's biggest of the season, also trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the eighth March 6 vs. Longwood. The Boilermakers rallied to win both games.
• Cam Thompson's two-run homer extended his RBI streak to 12 consecutive games and gave him 30 RBI for the season. Purdue's team leader in RBI during the 42-game campaign a year ago finished the season with 29.
• Evan Albrecht doubled twice as part of his team-leading fifth three-hit game of the season. He's been on base in 11 consecutive games and continues to lead the team with a .387 batting average while hitting exclusively in the 9-hole.
• CJ Valdez and Thompson both reached base safely three times and have been on base in every game they've played this season.
• Landon Weins has now worked 15 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. He lowered his team-leading ERA to 0.79 in 22 2/3 innings.
• Leadoff man Mike Bolton Jr. drew two free passes to extend his reached base safely streak to 20 consecutive games dating back to the 2021 finale. He stole second base both times he was aboard, taking sole possession of the Big Ten lead with 14 steals.
• Purdue snapped a nine-game losing streak to Ohio State in West Lafayette that dated back to April 2014.
Albrecht's leadoff double in the bottom of the third was the first of four extra-base hits in the four-run frame. Kade Kern's two home runs had powered OSU to a 4-0 lead while Purdue had gone hitless against OSU lefty Isaiah Coupet over its first eight plate appearances. But the two longballs to left field brought the Boilermakers even in a flash.#4faves from the last four innings of the Big Ten opening win for @PurdueBaseball tonight. #Purdue #baseball #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/pBjgFjBlTd
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 25, 2022
Albrecht doubled again in the fourth inning and then stole third base on the first pitch to the left-handed hitting Bolton. Albrecht was able to trot home when the OSU catcher rushed a throw to second base with Bolton in motion, missing wide of the bag on a throw that bounded into center field.
Weins (2-0) surrendered leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth innings, but erased the runners with a 4-6-3 double play and pickoff at first base. Second baseman Paul Toetz was able to handle a bad hop while starting the twin killing.
Ohio State ran into an out at the plate on a failed walk-off play with two outs and runners on the corners after Weins entered the game in the top of the fourth. Thompson pursued the trail runner between first and second base before throwing home in time to cut down the runner trying to slide in at the plate.
The series is scheduled to continue Saturday at 1 p.m. but with the forecasted temperatures dropping, a doubleheader Sunday is a possibility. Big Ten rules dictate the real feel temperature must by at least 28 degrees to start a game.
No doubter from @cameront4224!#NCAABaseball x 🎥 @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/OoKJtNLnVO
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) March 25, 2022