OMAHA, Neb. – Troy Viola made a highlight-reel catch on the tarp down the left field line and hit a long home run in what proved to be his final collegiate game as Iowa broke a tie with a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning to defeat Purdue baseball 5-4 in an elimination game Friday at the Big Ten Tournament.
CJ Backer, Troy Wansing and Landon Weins teamed up for 11 strikeouts, giving the Boilermakers a program record 479 for the season. Friday was Purdue's 25th double-figure strikeout total of the year in 50 games. The 9.566 strikeouts per nine innings mark is also a team record.
The Boilermakers finished their season with a 29-21 record, returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2018.
Izaya Fullard delivered the go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning, beating the shift with a ground ball through the left side after Purdue had shortstop Evan Albrecht positioned up the middle.
Moments earlier, Viola retired first-team All-Big Ten slugger Peyton Williams when he made a sprawling catch on top of the tarp. The Boilermakers were also shifted for the left-handed hitting Williams' at-bat, with Viola positioned in the spot traditionally occupied by the shortstop. As Viola got caught up in the tarp, Michael Seegers alertly tagged up and took second. With first base open, Purdue chose to intentionally walk Big Ten Freshman of the Year Keaton Anthony. But Fullard delivered the seeing-eye single to break the 4-4 stalemate.
The Hawkeyes (34-18) scored three times in the fifth inning while hitting the ball out of the infield just one time. Runs scored on a passed ball, squeeze bunt and wild pitch.
With the game tied 4-4, Purdue had two aboard with no outs and the top of the order up in the seventh inning when Iowa ran a well-executed pickoff play at second base as the Boilermakers were showing bunt. On a close play, Steve Ramirez was initially ruled safe but the call was overturned via review when the replay showed the second baseman had tagged Ramirez on the shoulder before his hand hit the bag. CJ Valdez later hit a rocket off the wall with two outs, but the ball was so hard hit that Tyler Powers was unable to score from first base.
Purdue tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth via three singles and a two-out error. Cam Thompson's two-out hit plated Valdez and kept the inning alive.
Backer retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced but the bottom of the order was able to generate a rally against the righthander in the fifth inning. Weins handled a bunt attempt cleanly for a force out at third base in the eighth inning and followed that up with a pair of punchouts to end the threat, stranding a pair of inherited runners. He also opened the top of the ninth with a K, Purdue's record-setting 478th.
Viola homered into the left field bullpen to open the second inning, joining Thompson as Boilermakers to go deep at the Big Ten Tournament this season. It was his eighth homer of the season and seventh extra-base hit over the final seven games.
Thompson finished the season with 56 RBI, good for sole possession of ninth place on Purdue's single-season list. He compiled a 1.031 OPS this year, the highest by a Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present).
The Boilermakers' 13-win improvement on their 16-26 record from 2021 represents the program's best since a 17-win improvement from 2016 to 2017.
Purdue will bid adieu to 11 seniors but is slated to return a large majority of its starters for the 2023 campaign.
CJ Backer, Troy Wansing and Landon Weins teamed up for 11 strikeouts, giving the Boilermakers a program record 479 for the season. Friday was Purdue's 25th double-figure strikeout total of the year in 50 games. The 9.566 strikeouts per nine innings mark is also a team record.
The Boilermakers finished their season with a 29-21 record, returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2018.
Izaya Fullard delivered the go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning, beating the shift with a ground ball through the left side after Purdue had shortstop Evan Albrecht positioned up the middle.
Moments earlier, Viola retired first-team All-Big Ten slugger Peyton Williams when he made a sprawling catch on top of the tarp. The Boilermakers were also shifted for the left-handed hitting Williams' at-bat, with Viola positioned in the spot traditionally occupied by the shortstop. As Viola got caught up in the tarp, Michael Seegers alertly tagged up and took second. With first base open, Purdue chose to intentionally walk Big Ten Freshman of the Year Keaton Anthony. But Fullard delivered the seeing-eye single to break the 4-4 stalemate.
The Hawkeyes (34-18) scored three times in the fifth inning while hitting the ball out of the infield just one time. Runs scored on a passed ball, squeeze bunt and wild pitch.
There were three plays subjected to video review and none of the final rulings benefited Purdue. Ryan Howe's one-out double hit the fan-control fencing above the yellow line in right center field in the fifth inning, going for a ground-rule double instead of a potential RBI triple. The correct ruling was upheld by replay. Cade Moss connected for an RBI double down the third base line in the following frame, with the replay proving inconclusive. Viola maintained after the game the ball had been foul by a few inches.The tarp never stops @Troy_Viola08 from going to get it. #BoilerUp 💎#D1Top10 x #SCTop10 x #BTNstandout pic.twitter.com/XDLNhWUrIf
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 27, 2022
With the game tied 4-4, Purdue had two aboard with no outs and the top of the order up in the seventh inning when Iowa ran a well-executed pickoff play at second base as the Boilermakers were showing bunt. On a close play, Steve Ramirez was initially ruled safe but the call was overturned via review when the replay showed the second baseman had tagged Ramirez on the shoulder before his hand hit the bag. CJ Valdez later hit a rocket off the wall with two outs, but the ball was so hard hit that Tyler Powers was unable to score from first base.
Purdue tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth via three singles and a two-out error. Cam Thompson's two-out hit plated Valdez and kept the inning alive.
Backer retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced but the bottom of the order was able to generate a rally against the righthander in the fifth inning. Weins handled a bunt attempt cleanly for a force out at third base in the eighth inning and followed that up with a pair of punchouts to end the threat, stranding a pair of inherited runners. He also opened the top of the ninth with a K, Purdue's record-setting 478th.
Viola homered into the left field bullpen to open the second inning, joining Thompson as Boilermakers to go deep at the Big Ten Tournament this season. It was his eighth homer of the season and seventh extra-base hit over the final seven games.
Thompson finished the season with 56 RBI, good for sole possession of ninth place on Purdue's single-season list. He compiled a 1.031 OPS this year, the highest by a Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present).
The Boilermakers' 13-win improvement on their 16-26 record from 2021 represents the program's best since a 17-win improvement from 2016 to 2017.
Purdue will bid adieu to 11 seniors but is slated to return a large majority of its starters for the 2023 campaign.
Friday morning scenes from Omaha. #BoilerUp #Boilermakers up 1-0 in the 4th.
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 27, 2022
📸 @CoolmanCreative pic.twitter.com/C1h6U8QfQZ