UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – On a night in which the teams scored a combined 12 runs in the third inning, it was Penn State's eight-run rally that proved to be the difference as the Nittany Lions took the series opener with Purdue baseball 12-7 Thursday.
Curtis Washington Jr. went 4-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases, reaching base safely for the 17th consecutive game. He joined Troy Viola as Boilermakers with a four-hit game this season and moved into a tie with teammate Mike Bolton Jr. for the Big Ten lead in stolen bases with 18 each.
Purdue (21-8, 3-5 B1G) raced out a 4-0 lead with a four-spot in the top of the third. But Penn State (13-18, 4-6 B1G) sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom half of the frame, scoring eight times to post the biggest inning against the Boilermakers since Hofstra's eight-run rally in February 2020 in a game Purdue won.
The Nittany Lions' extended rally was aided by four free passes (3 walks, 1 HBP) and a pair of run-scoring wild pitches.
The Boilermakers surrendered a double-figure run total for the seventh time in the last eight games. Yet the overall scoring margin is still just 84-77 in favor of the opposition over that stretch.
Purdue pounded out a season-high 15 hits but also hit into three double plays, all coming in innings when the Boilermakers had two base runners.
Down 11-5 entering the frame, Purdue scored twice in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs to bring the potential tying run to the plate. But PSU went to Tyler Shingledecker with one out in the inning and the lefty delivered key strikeouts vs. the Boilermakers' No. 3 and 5 hitters. Shingledecker went on to close out the game, throwing 68 pitches over 3 2/3 innings of three-hit relief while striking out six.
CJ Valdez reached base safely three times, recording his fifth double in the last 10 games and extending his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games. Cam Thompson registered his league-leading 45th RBI with a fielder's choice in the third inning and was hit by a pitch for the 17th time, another league-leading total, in the sixth inning to extend his on-base streak to 29 consecutive games.
Evan Albrecht's team-leading 41st hit came in a big spot as a two-out, two-run single to cap the scoring in the four-run third inning when Purdue pushed at least four runs across for the 18th time this season. The shortstop extended his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games.
Paul Toetz posted his third three-hit game of the season, delivering a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning. Jake Jarvis and Viola both had two hits, with Viola now riding an eight-game hit streak. Pablo Lanzarote tripled and scored the Boilermakers' first run. All four Boilermakers extended their on-base streaks – Viola to 10, Jarvis to nine, Toetz to eight and Lanzarote to seven.
Kyle Wade and Khal Stephen teamed up for five innings of two-run relief, helping keep Purdue within striking distance.
Game 2 of the series is set for Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Curtis Washington Jr. went 4-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases, reaching base safely for the 17th consecutive game. He joined Troy Viola as Boilermakers with a four-hit game this season and moved into a tie with teammate Mike Bolton Jr. for the Big Ten lead in stolen bases with 18 each.
Purdue (21-8, 3-5 B1G) raced out a 4-0 lead with a four-spot in the top of the third. But Penn State (13-18, 4-6 B1G) sent 12 men to the plate in the bottom half of the frame, scoring eight times to post the biggest inning against the Boilermakers since Hofstra's eight-run rally in February 2020 in a game Purdue won.
The Nittany Lions' extended rally was aided by four free passes (3 walks, 1 HBP) and a pair of run-scoring wild pitches.
The Boilermakers surrendered a double-figure run total for the seventh time in the last eight games. Yet the overall scoring margin is still just 84-77 in favor of the opposition over that stretch.
Purdue pounded out a season-high 15 hits but also hit into three double plays, all coming in innings when the Boilermakers had two base runners.
Down 11-5 entering the frame, Purdue scored twice in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs to bring the potential tying run to the plate. But PSU went to Tyler Shingledecker with one out in the inning and the lefty delivered key strikeouts vs. the Boilermakers' No. 3 and 5 hitters. Shingledecker went on to close out the game, throwing 68 pitches over 3 2/3 innings of three-hit relief while striking out six.
CJ Valdez reached base safely three times, recording his fifth double in the last 10 games and extending his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games. Cam Thompson registered his league-leading 45th RBI with a fielder's choice in the third inning and was hit by a pitch for the 17th time, another league-leading total, in the sixth inning to extend his on-base streak to 29 consecutive games.
Evan Albrecht's team-leading 41st hit came in a big spot as a two-out, two-run single to cap the scoring in the four-run third inning when Purdue pushed at least four runs across for the 18th time this season. The shortstop extended his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games.
Paul Toetz posted his third three-hit game of the season, delivering a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning. Jake Jarvis and Viola both had two hits, with Viola now riding an eight-game hit streak. Pablo Lanzarote tripled and scored the Boilermakers' first run. All four Boilermakers extended their on-base streaks – Viola to 10, Jarvis to nine, Toetz to eight and Lanzarote to seven.
Kyle Wade and Khal Stephen teamed up for five innings of two-run relief, helping keep Purdue within striking distance.
Game 2 of the series is set for Friday at 6 p.m. ET.