HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – Purdue baseball scored 13 times in the fourth inning en route to recording its highest run total since 2015, rolling to a 23-4 series-clinching win vs. Akron on Sunday at Ting Stadium.
The Boilermakers (8-4) rallied to win a four-game series after dropping the opening game for the first time since May 2005 vs. Iowa. Purdue scored 53 runs over 20 innings after the Zips (4-7) won 2-1 Friday.
The Boilermakers' 13-run inning was their biggest since scoring 15 times in the second inning of an April 2013 home win vs. UIC.
Paul Toetz homered to left field in the first and fourth innings, teeing off for his second multi-homer game of the series and third of the season. He's the first Boilermaker with three multi-homer games in a campaign since Dan Black also had three in 2009. Toetz finished the series 9-for-15 with 11 RBI and has gone deep seven times in the first 12 games.
Evan Albrecht extended his on-base streak to 15 consecutive games and finished the weekend with a remarkable 13 productive plate appearances in 16 trips to the dish while not striking out. Sunday he was 2-for-2 with a double, sac fly, hit by pitch, three RBI and three runs scored. Camden Melvin (3-for-3) and Toetz (3-for-3) also did something productive every time they went to the plate Sunday.
Purdue posted season highs for walks (9) and hit by pitch (7) Sunday. Those totals helped lead to a .500 team on-base percentage for the series.
Eleven of the Boilermakers' 18 hits Sunday came in the 13-run fourth inning, a frame in which they rolled the lineup over twice – with Jo Stevens batting three times. Purdue hit for the cycle over the course of the first six plate appearances of the frame. Melvin had two of his three hits in the inning.
Calvin Schapira and Logan Danzeisen led the way on the mound with their best outings of the young season. Schapira worked four innings of two-run ball, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first. Danzeisen retired all four batters he faced. For the series, the Purdue pitching staff limited Akron's righthanded hitters to a .156 batting average (7-for-45) and excelled with runners in scoring position, accounting for a .179 average against (5-for-28).
The Boilermakers also made three fine plays defensively. As the third baseman, Stevens robbed a likely double down the line with a diving stop to end the second inning. Cam Thompson, Toetz and Stephens teamed up for a flawless relay sequence from right field to third base to cut down the fastest man in the Akron lineup going for a two-out triple in the fourth inning. In the series, it was the second precise relay throw that led to an out for Toetz. Lukas Cook made an impressive leaping catch at shortstop to take away a leadoff single in the seventh inning.
Stevens had two singles and three RBI Sunday, finishing the series 6-for-15 with six RBI. He's riding an eight-game hitting streak. Couper Cornblum had six stolen bases and six runs scored in the series and has an active nine-game on-base streak.
Mike Bolton Jr.'s RBI triple knocked in the first run of Purdue's long fourth-inning rally. It was his eighth career triple. CJ Valdez doubled off the top of the left field wall in his first at-bat Sunday. It was originally ruled a home run before the call was changed following a conference among the full crew of umpires. Valdez finished the weekend with five doubles as part of a 6-for-13 series.
The Boilermakers return to action Friday when they open a three-game series at No. 5 Ole Miss. The Boilermakers are set to play a defending national champion for the first time since Ohio State in 1967.
The Boilermakers (8-4) rallied to win a four-game series after dropping the opening game for the first time since May 2005 vs. Iowa. Purdue scored 53 runs over 20 innings after the Zips (4-7) won 2-1 Friday.
The Boilermakers' 13-run inning was their biggest since scoring 15 times in the second inning of an April 2013 home win vs. UIC.
Paul Toetz homered to left field in the first and fourth innings, teeing off for his second multi-homer game of the series and third of the season. He's the first Boilermaker with three multi-homer games in a campaign since Dan Black also had three in 2009. Toetz finished the series 9-for-15 with 11 RBI and has gone deep seven times in the first 12 games.
Evan Albrecht extended his on-base streak to 15 consecutive games and finished the weekend with a remarkable 13 productive plate appearances in 16 trips to the dish while not striking out. Sunday he was 2-for-2 with a double, sac fly, hit by pitch, three RBI and three runs scored. Camden Melvin (3-for-3) and Toetz (3-for-3) also did something productive every time they went to the plate Sunday.
Purdue posted season highs for walks (9) and hit by pitch (7) Sunday. Those totals helped lead to a .500 team on-base percentage for the series.
Eleven of the Boilermakers' 18 hits Sunday came in the 13-run fourth inning, a frame in which they rolled the lineup over twice – with Jo Stevens batting three times. Purdue hit for the cycle over the course of the first six plate appearances of the frame. Melvin had two of his three hits in the inning.
Calvin Schapira and Logan Danzeisen led the way on the mound with their best outings of the young season. Schapira worked four innings of two-run ball, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first. Danzeisen retired all four batters he faced. For the series, the Purdue pitching staff limited Akron's righthanded hitters to a .156 batting average (7-for-45) and excelled with runners in scoring position, accounting for a .179 average against (5-for-28).
The Boilermakers also made three fine plays defensively. As the third baseman, Stevens robbed a likely double down the line with a diving stop to end the second inning. Cam Thompson, Toetz and Stephens teamed up for a flawless relay sequence from right field to third base to cut down the fastest man in the Akron lineup going for a two-out triple in the fourth inning. In the series, it was the second precise relay throw that led to an out for Toetz. Lukas Cook made an impressive leaping catch at shortstop to take away a leadoff single in the seventh inning.
Stevens had two singles and three RBI Sunday, finishing the series 6-for-15 with six RBI. He's riding an eight-game hitting streak. Couper Cornblum had six stolen bases and six runs scored in the series and has an active nine-game on-base streak.
Mike Bolton Jr.'s RBI triple knocked in the first run of Purdue's long fourth-inning rally. It was his eighth career triple. CJ Valdez doubled off the top of the left field wall in his first at-bat Sunday. It was originally ruled a home run before the call was changed following a conference among the full crew of umpires. Valdez finished the weekend with five doubles as part of a 6-for-13 series.
The Boilermakers return to action Friday when they open a three-game series at No. 5 Ole Miss. The Boilermakers are set to play a defending national champion for the first time since Ohio State in 1967.