WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In their first career starts at Alexander Field, Kyle Iwinski faced the minimum over his first six innings and Lukas Cook punctuated a series win with a walk-off homer in the 10th as Purdue baseball split a Sunday doubleheader with Northwestern.
The Boilermakers (12-14, 3-3 B1G) won the nightcap 4-3 on Cook's homer after NU scored twice in the ninth inning to extend the game. The Wildcats (3-19, 1-2 B1G) used a five-run eighth inning to blow open a 2-1 pitcher's duel in game 1, winning 7-3 to set up the rubber-game stakes.
Cook hit Purdue's first walk-off homer since Cam Thompson vs. Longwood in March of last season in the finale of the eight-game North Carolina road trip. It was the program's first at Alexander Field since Mason Gavre in March 2021 vs. Rutgers. The Boilermakers won in walk-off fashion for the second time this season and 11th time under head coach Greg Goff (2020-present).
Purdue won its fourth straight series vs. Northwestern dating back to 2018, winning nine of the 12 games during that stretch. The Boilermakers won games 1 and 3 of the series each of the last three times the teams have squared off.
Jake Parr delivered a two-out, two-run double to put Purdue in front 3-0 in the fourth inning of game 2.
Iwinski worked five true 1-2-3 innings and erased a one-out single by inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the top of the third. He pitched into the seventh inning for the second time this season, needing just 67 pitches to get through 6 2/3 innings. The righthander struck out five and did not issue a walk.
The Boilermakers scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning of game 1 to bring the tying run to the plate. But they played from behind for much of the game after Michael Farinelli kept them off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, pitching a gem against Purdue for the second year in a row. Farinelli struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball.
The Boilermakers are back in action Tuesday when they host Evansville at 6 p.m. ET.
Cook hit a hanging slider over the left field bullpen on the second pitch of the bottom of the 10th. It was his first extra-base hit as a Boilermaker.
The Boilermakers took advantage of two dropped popups to load the bases with one out in the fourth inning. Sam Franco nearly hit a grand slam but the deep fly ball was caught on the warning track in left field for a sac fly. Parr followed with his two-run double down the left field line.
Iwinski induced 10 ground balls outs and struck out the side in order vs. the 1-2-3 portion of the lineup in the fourth inning. On his third time through the top of the lineup, Griffin Arnone and Alex Calarco barreled up for a leadoff home run and one-out double in the seventh inning. Arnone went deep off each of Purdue's three starting pitchers in the series.
CJ Backer needed only one pitch to induce an-ending comebacker in the seventh inning, stranding an inherited runner at third base.
Northwestern tied the game in the top of the ninth on consecutive RBI singles from Calacro and Stephen Hrustich. The Boilermakers caught a break when Calarco misread Hrustich's hit down the right field line. Purdue was able to cut down Hrustich at second base after he got hung up thinking Calarco would go first to third as the go-ahead run. Backer was able to keep the game tied with an inning-ending strikeout.
Cal Lambert struck out the only batter he faced, winning a lefty-lefty matchup after a two-out single in the top of the 10th.
Jonathan Blackwell also pitched well in his Alexander Field debut, giving the Boilermakers at least five innings for his seventh consecutive start. He rolled through three 1-2-3 innings and did not issue a walk.
The Boilermakers scored two of their runs when runners came around from second base on infield hits. Mike Bolton Jr. and Paul Toetz scampered home on base hits to the shortstop by Jake Jarvis and Connor Caskenette. Toetz was in motion on the full-count pitch with two outs in the eighth inning. Camden Melvin followed with an RBI single into right center.
Ben Grable retired all four batters he faced, escaping the bases-loaded jam he inherited in the eighth inning and retiring Purdue in order in the ninth.
Jackson Dannelley also retired the first four batters he faced for the Boilermakers. He replaced Blackwell with a runner at third and a 1-2 count on Hrustich as the cleanup hitter. He needed only one pitch to strike out Hrustich and then worked a 1-2-3 frame vs NU's 5-6-7 hitters in the top of the seventh.
Evan Minarovic made his first start of the season Sunday and delivered run-scoring hits in both the sixth and eighth innings.
The Boilermakers (12-14, 3-3 B1G) won the nightcap 4-3 on Cook's homer after NU scored twice in the ninth inning to extend the game. The Wildcats (3-19, 1-2 B1G) used a five-run eighth inning to blow open a 2-1 pitcher's duel in game 1, winning 7-3 to set up the rubber-game stakes.
Cook hit Purdue's first walk-off homer since Cam Thompson vs. Longwood in March of last season in the finale of the eight-game North Carolina road trip. It was the program's first at Alexander Field since Mason Gavre in March 2021 vs. Rutgers. The Boilermakers won in walk-off fashion for the second time this season and 11th time under head coach Greg Goff (2020-present).
Purdue won its fourth straight series vs. Northwestern dating back to 2018, winning nine of the 12 games during that stretch. The Boilermakers won games 1 and 3 of the series each of the last three times the teams have squared off.
Jake Parr delivered a two-out, two-run double to put Purdue in front 3-0 in the fourth inning of game 2.
Iwinski worked five true 1-2-3 innings and erased a one-out single by inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the top of the third. He pitched into the seventh inning for the second time this season, needing just 67 pitches to get through 6 2/3 innings. The righthander struck out five and did not issue a walk.
The Boilermakers scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning of game 1 to bring the tying run to the plate. But they played from behind for much of the game after Michael Farinelli kept them off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, pitching a gem against Purdue for the second year in a row. Farinelli struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball.
The Boilermakers are back in action Tuesday when they host Evansville at 6 p.m. ET.
Game 2: Purdue 4, Northwestern 3 (10 Innings)The scene at Alexander as @LukasCook011 goes Big Fly over the Bullpen. What a moment for the Walk-off 💣. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/PIVKYUosgL
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 2, 2023
Cook hit a hanging slider over the left field bullpen on the second pitch of the bottom of the 10th. It was his first extra-base hit as a Boilermaker.
The Boilermakers took advantage of two dropped popups to load the bases with one out in the fourth inning. Sam Franco nearly hit a grand slam but the deep fly ball was caught on the warning track in left field for a sac fly. Parr followed with his two-run double down the left field line.
Iwinski induced 10 ground balls outs and struck out the side in order vs. the 1-2-3 portion of the lineup in the fourth inning. On his third time through the top of the lineup, Griffin Arnone and Alex Calarco barreled up for a leadoff home run and one-out double in the seventh inning. Arnone went deep off each of Purdue's three starting pitchers in the series.
CJ Backer needed only one pitch to induce an-ending comebacker in the seventh inning, stranding an inherited runner at third base.
Northwestern tied the game in the top of the ninth on consecutive RBI singles from Calacro and Stephen Hrustich. The Boilermakers caught a break when Calarco misread Hrustich's hit down the right field line. Purdue was able to cut down Hrustich at second base after he got hung up thinking Calarco would go first to third as the go-ahead run. Backer was able to keep the game tied with an inning-ending strikeout.
Cal Lambert struck out the only batter he faced, winning a lefty-lefty matchup after a two-out single in the top of the 10th.
Game 1: Northwestern 7, Purdue 3#4faves from the doubleheader today for @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/F5mzyj4Iww
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) April 2, 2023
Jonathan Blackwell also pitched well in his Alexander Field debut, giving the Boilermakers at least five innings for his seventh consecutive start. He rolled through three 1-2-3 innings and did not issue a walk.
The Boilermakers scored two of their runs when runners came around from second base on infield hits. Mike Bolton Jr. and Paul Toetz scampered home on base hits to the shortstop by Jake Jarvis and Connor Caskenette. Toetz was in motion on the full-count pitch with two outs in the eighth inning. Camden Melvin followed with an RBI single into right center.
Ben Grable retired all four batters he faced, escaping the bases-loaded jam he inherited in the eighth inning and retiring Purdue in order in the ninth.
Jackson Dannelley also retired the first four batters he faced for the Boilermakers. He replaced Blackwell with a runner at third and a 1-2 count on Hrustich as the cleanup hitter. He needed only one pitch to strike out Hrustich and then worked a 1-2-3 frame vs NU's 5-6-7 hitters in the top of the seventh.
Evan Minarovic made his first start of the season Sunday and delivered run-scoring hits in both the sixth and eighth innings.
Another #4faves from the @PurdueBaseball doubleheader today. pic.twitter.com/JQUu9EUe7p
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) April 2, 2023