WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball connected for four doubles as part of an 11-hit attack, but Nebraska used the long ball to overcome a two-run deficit to take the rubber game of the series 6-4 in Saturday's regular-season finale at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers (24-29, 11-13 B1G) dropped their first home series of the season. They were eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention late Friday when Michigan State defeated Indiana to clinch the final bid. The Cornhuskers (31-21-1, 15-9) will be the No. 4 seed at next week's tournament in Omaha.
Down to its final out of the season, singles by seniors CJ Valdez and Paul Toetz helped Purdue bring the go-ahead run to the plate before Kyle Perry was able to close out the game. Valdez and Toetz both had seven hits in their final series at Alexander. Toetz went 3-for-4 Saturday to finish the season with a team-high .335 average. He also led the squad with 10 home runs and 53 RBI, making him the Boilermakers' first team triple crown winner since Kyle Wood in 2015.
Couper Cornblum and Sam Franco joined Valdez and Toetz with doubles Saturday. Cornblum also had seven hits in the series. He finished his first season as a Boilermaker riding a 20-game on-base streak and 13-game hit streak at Alexander Field.
Senior Jake Parr drove in Purdue's first run of the day with an RBI single in a three-run third inning. He finished his career riding a 27-game on-base streak and nine-game hit streak at home.
NOTABLE STREAKS EXTENDED SATURDAY
• Jake Parr (1-for-4, RBI, R) – 27-game on-base; 19-game on-base in Big Ten play; 17-game on-base at Home; 9-game hit at Home
• Couper Cornblum (2-for-4, 2B, R) – 20-game on-base; 13-game hit at Home; 13-game on-base in Big Ten play
Jackson Dannelley got out of that jam and went on to work 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.
Four Nebraska relievers combined for 6 2/3 innings of quality relief, surrendering just an unearned run in the ninth inning. They did not issue a walk after consecutive bases-loaded walks to Jo Stevens and Franco in the third inning.
Charlie Fischer hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the fourth inning. It was the Huskers' 94th of the season, officially establishing a program record after they had matched the benchmark Thursday. Anderson's leadoff homer in the sixth inning accounted for the go-ahead run.
Before the game, Purdue recognized nine seniors for their contributions to the program during the annual Senior Day ceremony. The Boilermakers are slated to return a number of experienced players for the 2024 campaign, headlined by the weekend rotation of Khal Stephen, Jonathan Blackwell and Kyle Iwinski. They became Purdue's first trio since 2009 to comprise the pitching rotation for every weekend of Big Ten play.
The Boilermakers (24-29, 11-13 B1G) dropped their first home series of the season. They were eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention late Friday when Michigan State defeated Indiana to clinch the final bid. The Cornhuskers (31-21-1, 15-9) will be the No. 4 seed at next week's tournament in Omaha.
Down to its final out of the season, singles by seniors CJ Valdez and Paul Toetz helped Purdue bring the go-ahead run to the plate before Kyle Perry was able to close out the game. Valdez and Toetz both had seven hits in their final series at Alexander. Toetz went 3-for-4 Saturday to finish the season with a team-high .335 average. He also led the squad with 10 home runs and 53 RBI, making him the Boilermakers' first team triple crown winner since Kyle Wood in 2015.
Couper Cornblum and Sam Franco joined Valdez and Toetz with doubles Saturday. Cornblum also had seven hits in the series. He finished his first season as a Boilermaker riding a 20-game on-base streak and 13-game hit streak at Alexander Field.
Senior Jake Parr drove in Purdue's first run of the day with an RBI single in a three-run third inning. He finished his career riding a 27-game on-base streak and nine-game hit streak at home.
NOTABLE STREAKS EXTENDED SATURDAY
• Jake Parr (1-for-4, RBI, R) – 27-game on-base; 19-game on-base in Big Ten play; 17-game on-base at Home; 9-game hit at Home
• Couper Cornblum (2-for-4, 2B, R) – 20-game on-base; 13-game hit at Home; 13-game on-base in Big Ten play
Senior Evan Albrecht made the defensive play of the game in his 206th career and final game as a Boilermaker. With runners on the corners and one out in the seventh inning and Max Anderson – the Big Ten's leading hitter -- at the plate, Albrecht made a bare-handed pick and started an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. The five-year starter received a big standing ovation when he was lifted for a curtain call in the eighth inning.#4faves from the final game of the season for @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/LBpuVb1OMl
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) May 20, 2023
Jackson Dannelley got out of that jam and went on to work 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.
Four Nebraska relievers combined for 6 2/3 innings of quality relief, surrendering just an unearned run in the ninth inning. They did not issue a walk after consecutive bases-loaded walks to Jo Stevens and Franco in the third inning.
Charlie Fischer hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the fourth inning. It was the Huskers' 94th of the season, officially establishing a program record after they had matched the benchmark Thursday. Anderson's leadoff homer in the sixth inning accounted for the go-ahead run.
Before the game, Purdue recognized nine seniors for their contributions to the program during the annual Senior Day ceremony. The Boilermakers are slated to return a number of experienced players for the 2024 campaign, headlined by the weekend rotation of Khal Stephen, Jonathan Blackwell and Kyle Iwinski. They became Purdue's first trio since 2009 to comprise the pitching rotation for every weekend of Big Ten play.