WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball rallied back from an early four-run deficit as five pitchers teamed up for nine consecutive scoreless innings, but UIC scored twice in the top of the 14th to break the stalemate and hung on to defeat the Boilermakers 6-5 Wednesday in the longest game in the history of Alexander Field.
The five-hour, three-minute marathon goes into the Purdue record book as the longest game in program history. The Boilermakers (15-7) played at least 14 innings for the fifth time, with Wednesday being their longest since a 15-inning walk-off win vs. Ohio in March 2015 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. Previously, the longest game at Alexander was a 13-inning walk-off win vs. Ohio State in April 2014.
Purdue had the winning run on base in the bottom of the 14th after Connor Caskenette's RBI single made it a one-run game. But for the second game in a row, a one-run affair went final on a deep fly out to right field off the bat of Camden Melvin.
The Flames (13-6) took the lead on AJ Henkle's two-out RBI single in top of the 14th. Jackson Bessette followed with a chopper down the third base line that hit the bag and caromed into left field for another run-scoring hit.
• Purdue used 26 players in the marathon – 18 position players and eight pitchers.
• Corbin Malott was the Boilermakers' only position to see action that did not bat. But he scored the game-tying run in the ninth inning, sliding in safely at the plate as Purdue had the contact play on with Couper Cornblum at the plate and one out. Second baseman Ryan Nagelbach handled the ground ball cleanly but his throw was into the lefthanded batter's box, allowing Malott to easily slide into the opposite side of the plate even though the throw beat him.
• Nagelbach redeemed himself moments later, saving the game in with a diving stop behind the second base bag. He robbed Luke Gaffney of a walk-off single after Cornblum started the play on second base as the winning run. In the top half of the frame, Nagelbach's counterpart Ty Gill made a similar diving play to save a run, keeping it a one-run game.
• Both teams had a runner thrown out at the plate to end their half of the eighth inning. Jo Stevens made a diving stop at third base to keep a two-out single from getting into left field. Instead of forcing a throw to first base, Stevens alertly threw the runner out at the plate after UIC had over-aggressively waved the runner around third. In the bottom half of the frame, Aaron Dolney connected for a pinch-hit, two-out double into the right field corner. However, Breck Nowik was tagged out 10 feet from the plate after suffering a leg injury while rounding the third base bag.
• The Boilermakers escaped a bases-loaded jam without a run scoring in both the 11th and 12th innings. In the 11th, Avery Cook struck out the Flames' cleanup hitter for the second out and then pounced on a swinging bunt up the third base line, throwing out the batter on a close play at first base. Carter Doorn induced a pair of fly outs to center field in the 12th, stranding a pair of inherited runners in the process. UIC still managed to win the game despite leaving 19 runners on base.
• The Boilermakers hit multiple home runs for the fifth consecutive game, but both came to lead off an inning. Connor Caskenette connected for his team-leading fifth of the season to put Purdue on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Mike Bolton Jr. went deep into the right field bullpen for his eighth career long ball to open the home half of the seventh. Bolton later had to leave the game after getting hit in the fingers while executing a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning.
• Nowik had two hits Wednesday in his first start as a Boilermaker while squaring off against his former team. He completed his return from the broken hamate bone (wrist) he sustained on Groundhog Day. Nowik started at first base and his injury led to Purdue losing the designated hitter as Gaffney, the team's starter at first base in the first 21 games, had to take the field beginning with the top of the ninth. Nowik had occupied the 6-hole in the lineup and that spot came to the plate three times over the final six innings, including the game-ending out.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jackson Dannelley – 9 consecutive scoreless innings; 13 consecutive innings at Alexander Field without allowing an earned run (since 5/7/23); 10 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)
• Connor Caskenette – 26-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 10-game on-base streak in all games; 6-game hit streak
• Camden Gasser – 20-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024)
• Jo Stevens – 8-game hit streak
Couper Cornblum had three hits for third time in the last five games since Friday. He also saved multiple runs with a two-out diving catch in center field with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Camden Gasser's three walks pushed his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. But the shortstop was held hitless for just the second time this season, ending his 12-game hit streak.
Aaron Suval and Jackson Dannelley teamed up for five innings of scoreless relief to help get the game to extra innings.
The Boilermakers open Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game home series vs. Iowa. First pitch Friday is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
The five-hour, three-minute marathon goes into the Purdue record book as the longest game in program history. The Boilermakers (15-7) played at least 14 innings for the fifth time, with Wednesday being their longest since a 15-inning walk-off win vs. Ohio in March 2015 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. Previously, the longest game at Alexander was a 13-inning walk-off win vs. Ohio State in April 2014.
Purdue had the winning run on base in the bottom of the 14th after Connor Caskenette's RBI single made it a one-run game. But for the second game in a row, a one-run affair went final on a deep fly out to right field off the bat of Camden Melvin.
The Flames (13-6) took the lead on AJ Henkle's two-out RBI single in top of the 14th. Jackson Bessette followed with a chopper down the third base line that hit the bag and caromed into left field for another run-scoring hit.
WEDNESDAY NOTABLESAnother #4faves from the extra innings of the @PurdueBaseball game tonight. pic.twitter.com/Yp4IgQ10zS
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 21, 2024
• Purdue used 26 players in the marathon – 18 position players and eight pitchers.
• Corbin Malott was the Boilermakers' only position to see action that did not bat. But he scored the game-tying run in the ninth inning, sliding in safely at the plate as Purdue had the contact play on with Couper Cornblum at the plate and one out. Second baseman Ryan Nagelbach handled the ground ball cleanly but his throw was into the lefthanded batter's box, allowing Malott to easily slide into the opposite side of the plate even though the throw beat him.
• Nagelbach redeemed himself moments later, saving the game in with a diving stop behind the second base bag. He robbed Luke Gaffney of a walk-off single after Cornblum started the play on second base as the winning run. In the top half of the frame, Nagelbach's counterpart Ty Gill made a similar diving play to save a run, keeping it a one-run game.
• Both teams had a runner thrown out at the plate to end their half of the eighth inning. Jo Stevens made a diving stop at third base to keep a two-out single from getting into left field. Instead of forcing a throw to first base, Stevens alertly threw the runner out at the plate after UIC had over-aggressively waved the runner around third. In the bottom half of the frame, Aaron Dolney connected for a pinch-hit, two-out double into the right field corner. However, Breck Nowik was tagged out 10 feet from the plate after suffering a leg injury while rounding the third base bag.
• The Boilermakers escaped a bases-loaded jam without a run scoring in both the 11th and 12th innings. In the 11th, Avery Cook struck out the Flames' cleanup hitter for the second out and then pounced on a swinging bunt up the third base line, throwing out the batter on a close play at first base. Carter Doorn induced a pair of fly outs to center field in the 12th, stranding a pair of inherited runners in the process. UIC still managed to win the game despite leaving 19 runners on base.
• The Boilermakers hit multiple home runs for the fifth consecutive game, but both came to lead off an inning. Connor Caskenette connected for his team-leading fifth of the season to put Purdue on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Mike Bolton Jr. went deep into the right field bullpen for his eighth career long ball to open the home half of the seventh. Bolton later had to leave the game after getting hit in the fingers while executing a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning.
• Nowik had two hits Wednesday in his first start as a Boilermaker while squaring off against his former team. He completed his return from the broken hamate bone (wrist) he sustained on Groundhog Day. Nowik started at first base and his injury led to Purdue losing the designated hitter as Gaffney, the team's starter at first base in the first 21 games, had to take the field beginning with the top of the ninth. Nowik had occupied the 6-hole in the lineup and that spot came to the plate three times over the final six innings, including the game-ending out.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jackson Dannelley – 9 consecutive scoreless innings; 13 consecutive innings at Alexander Field without allowing an earned run (since 5/7/23); 10 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)
• Connor Caskenette – 26-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 10-game on-base streak in all games; 6-game hit streak
• Camden Gasser – 20-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024)
• Jo Stevens – 8-game hit streak
Couper Cornblum had three hits for third time in the last five games since Friday. He also saved multiple runs with a two-out diving catch in center field with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Camden Gasser's three walks pushed his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. But the shortstop was held hitless for just the second time this season, ending his 12-game hit streak.
Aaron Suval and Jackson Dannelley teamed up for five innings of scoreless relief to help get the game to extra innings.
The Boilermakers open Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game home series vs. Iowa. First pitch Friday is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
#4faves from the extra innings of the @PurdueBaseball game tonight. pic.twitter.com/gubKIiCwg6
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 21, 2024