WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – CJ Backer set the tone early by striking out six his first time through the lineup and his teammates pounded out 20 hits for the first time since March 2017 as Purdue baseball rolled past Michigan 18-4 Friday at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers (24-13, 5-6 B1G) registered season highs for runs and hits. The 18 runs were their most at Alexander Field since May 2018. Seventeen of their 20 hits were singles.
Troy Viola homered to left field in the third and eighth innings as part of a five-RBI night. He joined CJ Valdez as Purdue players with a multi-homer game this season. Jake Jarvis is the other Boilermaker in the three-player group with a 5-RBI game this year. Viola posted Purdue's first multi-homer game at Alexander Field since Ben Nisle in April 2018 and just the fourth since the ballpark opened in 2013.
Curtis Washington Jr., Evan Albrecht, Paul Toetz, Mike Bolton Jr. and Viola all finished with three hits. That quintet was a combined 15-for-26 to help the Boilermakers score in six of the eight innings in which they batted.
Backer (2-0) struck out the side in the first and third innings, doing it in order to begin the game. The sophomore finished with a career-high eight punchouts, leading the way as Purdue racked up 14 Ks. With two outs and runners on second and third in the top of the third, he came back from 3-0 count to strikeout the Wolverines' No. 3 hitter.
It was a spot start for Backer after ace Jackson Smeltz was scratched Thursday due to injury. The sophomore responded with his best outing of the season, limiting an accomplished Michigan (22-17, 8-5 B1G) lineup to just three hits over five innings. He did not issue a walk and the only run he allowed came on a solo home run.
Leading 8-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Purdue scored 10 times over its final two opportunities at the plate to blow the game open. The six-run eighth inning marked the eighth time this season the Boilermakers have racked up six-plus runs in a frame.
The Boilermakers scored three times in the second inning even while hitting the ball out of the infield only one time. Viola slid in safely under the tag after the Michigan pitcher tried to turn a comebacker into an out at third base. Washington delivered the first of his two two-out RBI singles and then scored from second base on an infield hit to third base from Evan Albrecht.
All of Purdue's notable active streaks remained alive Friday…
• Cam Thompson – 37-game on-base (every game)
• CJ Valdez – 33-game on-base (every game)
• Evan Albrecht – 11-game hit in Big Ten play (every game)
• Curtis Washington Jr. – 25-game on-base
• Troy Viola – 18-game on-base, 10-game hit at home, 9-game hit in Big Ten play
• Jake Jarvis – 10-game on-base at home
The series continues Saturday with game 2 at 6 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers (24-13, 5-6 B1G) registered season highs for runs and hits. The 18 runs were their most at Alexander Field since May 2018. Seventeen of their 20 hits were singles.
Troy Viola homered to left field in the third and eighth innings as part of a five-RBI night. He joined CJ Valdez as Purdue players with a multi-homer game this season. Jake Jarvis is the other Boilermaker in the three-player group with a 5-RBI game this year. Viola posted Purdue's first multi-homer game at Alexander Field since Ben Nisle in April 2018 and just the fourth since the ballpark opened in 2013.
Curtis Washington Jr., Evan Albrecht, Paul Toetz, Mike Bolton Jr. and Viola all finished with three hits. That quintet was a combined 15-for-26 to help the Boilermakers score in six of the eight innings in which they batted.
Backer (2-0) struck out the side in the first and third innings, doing it in order to begin the game. The sophomore finished with a career-high eight punchouts, leading the way as Purdue racked up 14 Ks. With two outs and runners on second and third in the top of the third, he came back from 3-0 count to strikeout the Wolverines' No. 3 hitter.
It was a spot start for Backer after ace Jackson Smeltz was scratched Thursday due to injury. The sophomore responded with his best outing of the season, limiting an accomplished Michigan (22-17, 8-5 B1G) lineup to just three hits over five innings. He did not issue a walk and the only run he allowed came on a solo home run.
Leading 8-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Purdue scored 10 times over its final two opportunities at the plate to blow the game open. The six-run eighth inning marked the eighth time this season the Boilermakers have racked up six-plus runs in a frame.
Purdue went to the bullpen after Backer had gone through the U-M lineup twice. Khal Stephen and Nolan Daniel did their part to close out the game. Stephen posted a zero vs. the top of the order in the sixth inning and finished the seventh with consecutive strikeouts. Daniel struck out three of the six batters he faced, finishing off the eighth and ninth innings with punchouts.The Bats are 🔥 Tonight
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 30, 2022
⚒️ @cjvaldez13
⚒️ @swaggyc5
⚒️ @cameront4224
⚒️ @Troy_Viola08
📸 @PurdueStein x #BoilerUp 🚂 pic.twitter.com/FsKm5gFMof
The Boilermakers scored three times in the second inning even while hitting the ball out of the infield only one time. Viola slid in safely under the tag after the Michigan pitcher tried to turn a comebacker into an out at third base. Washington delivered the first of his two two-out RBI singles and then scored from second base on an infield hit to third base from Evan Albrecht.
All of Purdue's notable active streaks remained alive Friday…
• Cam Thompson – 37-game on-base (every game)
• CJ Valdez – 33-game on-base (every game)
• Evan Albrecht – 11-game hit in Big Ten play (every game)
• Curtis Washington Jr. – 25-game on-base
• Troy Viola – 18-game on-base, 10-game hit at home, 9-game hit in Big Ten play
• Jake Jarvis – 10-game on-base at home
The series continues Saturday with game 2 at 6 p.m. ET.
.@_cjbacker set the tone tonight by striking out the side in 2 of the first 3 innings while working 5 innings of 1-run ball. Hear from the sophomore after he struck out a season-high 8 vs Michigan. #BoilerUp 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QcUg0nVh1G
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 30, 2022