WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Luke Gaffney, Logan Sutter and Connor Caskenette all connected for a home run while representing Purdue Baseball's 3-4-5 combination in the lineup, helping the Boilermakers score 10 unanswered runs for the fifth time this season in an 11-1 victory vs. Northern Illinois on a 70-degree Wednesday at Alexander Field.
Purdue (13-4) improved to 5-0 on its season-long 13-game homestand. Gaffney and Sutter accounted for the Boilermakers' first set of back-to-back home runs since March 2022 and the program's first at home since April 2021.
Purdue pounded out a season-high 16 hits while posting a double-figure run total for the third game in a row and ninth time this season. The Boilermakers have scored 56 runs in 37 innings at the plate during their homestand.
Ty Gill and Jo Stevens both went 3-for-4 from the bottom two spots in the lineup Wednesday.
Caskenette hit the first of the three long balls, a no-doubter to left field with a runner aboard in the fifth inning. It was the first home run at Alexander Field this season. Gaffney and Sutter went back-to-back in the following frame. While both blasts were also to left field, they looked vastly different. Gaffney's was a line shot that cleared the fence between the videoboard and the bullpen. Sutter's was a towering bomb that tight roped the line and stayed fair as it soared over the foul pole.
Sutter (20 RBI) joined Gaffney (23) and Caskenette (22) as Boilermakers to already reach the 20-RBI benchmark this season.
Couper Cornblum tripled for the third game in a row. He was one of seven Purdue hitters to extend a streak in the victory.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Connor Caskenette – 22-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 7-game on-base streak in all games
• Couper Cornblum – 18-game on-base streak at Home (since 4/15/23); 6-game on-base streak in all games
• Logan Sutter – 17-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 15-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024); 8-game hit streak
• Keenan Spence – 7-game on-base streak
• Luke Gaffney – 5-game hit streak
• Ty Gill – 5-game on-base streak
In his first collegiate start, Cole Van Assen struck out five of the 15 batters he faced over 3 1/3 effective innings. For a third consecutive appearance, the opponent did not score while Van Assen was on the mound. The freshman struck out NIU's cleanup hitter with the bases loaded to post a zero with the game still scoreless in the third inning.
Stevens scored Purdue's first run, scampering home from second base despite the ball not leaving the infield on a two-out error in the bottom of the fourth. He was safe on a close play at the plate after an aggressive send when a chopper caromed off the glove of the third baseman on a short hop.
Stevens and shortstop Camden Gasser accounted for consecutive web gems in the top of the sixth inning. As the third baseman, Stevens made a basket catch on a foul pop up behind home plate for the first out. Gasser made a diving stop near the second base bag to retire the next batter.
Aaron Suval (2-0) rolled up an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play while facing the cleanup hitter with two aboard and one out in the fifth inning. Avery Cook and Carter Doorn both struck out a pair while working hitless innings to close out the victory.
Purdue's homestand continues Friday with the opener of a four-game series vs. Samford. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.
Purdue (13-4) improved to 5-0 on its season-long 13-game homestand. Gaffney and Sutter accounted for the Boilermakers' first set of back-to-back home runs since March 2022 and the program's first at home since April 2021.
Purdue pounded out a season-high 16 hits while posting a double-figure run total for the third game in a row and ninth time this season. The Boilermakers have scored 56 runs in 37 innings at the plate during their homestand.
Ty Gill and Jo Stevens both went 3-for-4 from the bottom two spots in the lineup Wednesday.
4️⃣📸: @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/qTD4Qcoo9T
— Ryan Long (@ryan_long_01) March 14, 2024
Caskenette hit the first of the three long balls, a no-doubter to left field with a runner aboard in the fifth inning. It was the first home run at Alexander Field this season. Gaffney and Sutter went back-to-back in the following frame. While both blasts were also to left field, they looked vastly different. Gaffney's was a line shot that cleared the fence between the videoboard and the bullpen. Sutter's was a towering bomb that tight roped the line and stayed fair as it soared over the foul pole.
Sutter (20 RBI) joined Gaffney (23) and Caskenette (22) as Boilermakers to already reach the 20-RBI benchmark this season.
Couper Cornblum tripled for the third game in a row. He was one of seven Purdue hitters to extend a streak in the victory.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Connor Caskenette – 22-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 7-game on-base streak in all games
• Couper Cornblum – 18-game on-base streak at Home (since 4/15/23); 6-game on-base streak in all games
• Logan Sutter – 17-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 15-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024); 8-game hit streak
• Keenan Spence – 7-game on-base streak
• Luke Gaffney – 5-game hit streak
• Ty Gill – 5-game on-base streak
Another #4faves from the 1st midweek home win for @PurdueBaseball today. pic.twitter.com/Kvv6QvQkwt
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 14, 2024
In his first collegiate start, Cole Van Assen struck out five of the 15 batters he faced over 3 1/3 effective innings. For a third consecutive appearance, the opponent did not score while Van Assen was on the mound. The freshman struck out NIU's cleanup hitter with the bases loaded to post a zero with the game still scoreless in the third inning.
Stevens scored Purdue's first run, scampering home from second base despite the ball not leaving the infield on a two-out error in the bottom of the fourth. He was safe on a close play at the plate after an aggressive send when a chopper caromed off the glove of the third baseman on a short hop.
Stevens and shortstop Camden Gasser accounted for consecutive web gems in the top of the sixth inning. As the third baseman, Stevens made a basket catch on a foul pop up behind home plate for the first out. Gasser made a diving stop near the second base bag to retire the next batter.
Aaron Suval (2-0) rolled up an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play while facing the cleanup hitter with two aboard and one out in the fifth inning. Avery Cook and Carter Doorn both struck out a pair while working hitless innings to close out the victory.
Purdue's homestand continues Friday with the opener of a four-game series vs. Samford. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.