WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An extra-base hit from four different Boilermakers powered a fast start and stretch of nine unanswered runs as Purdue Baseball scored in each of the first five innings to defeat Evansville 10-6 Wednesday in the finale of a nine-game homestand at Alexander Field.
Luke Gaffney connected for a two-run triple as the Boilermakers (26-15) sent 10 men to the plate in a four-run first inning. Gaffney scored twice on the night, pushing his season total to 51 runs scored and breaking a Purdue freshman record in the process. He eclipsed Brett Roach's benchmark that had stood since 1986.
The Boilermakers snapped Evansville's eight-game win streak, beating a hot team in a midweek matchup at Alexander for the second week in a row. Purdue improved to 10-3 since March 31 and posted a double-figure run total for the fifth time in the last seven games. Gaffney is 12-for-18 with runners in scoring position while racking up 23 RBI since March 31.
The Boilermakers went 6-3 on their April homestand. They resume Big Ten play Friday night with a game at Wrigley Field that serves as the opener of a three-game series at Northwestern. Purdue is riding a seven-game win streak in conference play, its longest since 2018.
Cole Van Assen and Davis Pratt teamed up to put six consecutive zeros on the board for the Boilermakers after UE (22-18) scored twice in the first inning. Van Assen (4-0) matched his season high with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball. The freshman has made nine appearances (six starts) this season and given Purdue at least eight outs while surrendering no more than two runs in all but one.
As the first man out of the bullpen, Pratt retired all eight batters he faced, striking out the Purple Aces' 3-4 hitters consecutively to begin his outing.
Couper Cornblum, Connor Caskenette and Keenan Taylor all connected for a double in the second inning as the Boilermakers went up 6-2.
Camden Gasser was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles at the bottom of the lineup. Purdue's shortstop has reached base safely multiple times in each of the last seven games, compiling a .679 on-base percentage during that stretch. His OBP for the season is up to .524.
Mike Bolton Jr. delivered a game-opening hit for the third game in a row and reached base safely three times, extending his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. It's the second 20-game streak of his career, joining Brandon Haveman (4), Skyler Hunter (3), Jordan Comadena, Nick Dalesandro and Evan Albrecht as Boilermakers since 2001 with multiple single-season streaks of at least 20 games.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr.: 20-game on-base streak; 13-game on-base streak at home
• Camden Gasser: 7-game on-base streak
• Couper Cornblum: 94 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Jo Stevens made the elite defensive play of the night, taking away a leadoff double in the top of the fifth with a diving stop behind the third base bag. Stevens drove in a run in the bottom half of the frame when the UE shortstop couldn't make a play on a grounder with a runner at third and one out. But the Aussie's team-long 26-game on-base streak came to an end Wednesday. He was held with out a hit, walk or hit by pitch for the first time since March 1 and just the second time this season when he was in the starting lineup.
Ty Gill connected for a pinch-hit triple to the wall in right field for Purdue's fifth extra-base hit of the night in the ninth inning. The Boilermakers went without a home run for the first time since the opening game of the homestand, an April 9 loss to Indiana State.
Friday's game vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field is slated for an 8 p.m. ET first pitch and is scheduled to be televised live by the Big Ten Network. The final two games of the series are scheduled to be played at NU's Rocky & Berenice Miller Park in Evanston.
Luke Gaffney connected for a two-run triple as the Boilermakers (26-15) sent 10 men to the plate in a four-run first inning. Gaffney scored twice on the night, pushing his season total to 51 runs scored and breaking a Purdue freshman record in the process. He eclipsed Brett Roach's benchmark that had stood since 1986.
The Boilermakers snapped Evansville's eight-game win streak, beating a hot team in a midweek matchup at Alexander for the second week in a row. Purdue improved to 10-3 since March 31 and posted a double-figure run total for the fifth time in the last seven games. Gaffney is 12-for-18 with runners in scoring position while racking up 23 RBI since March 31.
The Boilermakers went 6-3 on their April homestand. They resume Big Ten play Friday night with a game at Wrigley Field that serves as the opener of a three-game series at Northwestern. Purdue is riding a seven-game win streak in conference play, its longest since 2018.
Cole Van Assen and Davis Pratt teamed up to put six consecutive zeros on the board for the Boilermakers after UE (22-18) scored twice in the first inning. Van Assen (4-0) matched his season high with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball. The freshman has made nine appearances (six starts) this season and given Purdue at least eight outs while surrendering no more than two runs in all but one.
As the first man out of the bullpen, Pratt retired all eight batters he faced, striking out the Purple Aces' 3-4 hitters consecutively to begin his outing.
Couper Cornblum, Connor Caskenette and Keenan Taylor all connected for a double in the second inning as the Boilermakers went up 6-2.
Camden Gasser was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles at the bottom of the lineup. Purdue's shortstop has reached base safely multiple times in each of the last seven games, compiling a .679 on-base percentage during that stretch. His OBP for the season is up to .524.
Mike Bolton Jr. delivered a game-opening hit for the third game in a row and reached base safely three times, extending his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games. It's the second 20-game streak of his career, joining Brandon Haveman (4), Skyler Hunter (3), Jordan Comadena, Nick Dalesandro and Evan Albrecht as Boilermakers since 2001 with multiple single-season streaks of at least 20 games.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr.: 20-game on-base streak; 13-game on-base streak at home
• Camden Gasser: 7-game on-base streak
• Couper Cornblum: 94 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Jo Stevens made the elite defensive play of the night, taking away a leadoff double in the top of the fifth with a diving stop behind the third base bag. Stevens drove in a run in the bottom half of the frame when the UE shortstop couldn't make a play on a grounder with a runner at third and one out. But the Aussie's team-long 26-game on-base streak came to an end Wednesday. He was held with out a hit, walk or hit by pitch for the first time since March 1 and just the second time this season when he was in the starting lineup.
Ty Gill connected for a pinch-hit triple to the wall in right field for Purdue's fifth extra-base hit of the night in the ninth inning. The Boilermakers went without a home run for the first time since the opening game of the homestand, an April 9 loss to Indiana State.
Friday's game vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field is slated for an 8 p.m. ET first pitch and is scheduled to be televised live by the Big Ten Network. The final two games of the series are scheduled to be played at NU's Rocky & Berenice Miller Park in Evanston.