ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Keenan Spence hit two long home runs and also robbed a homer defensively in right field, starring in support of a quality start from Jordan Morales as Purdue Baseball shutout Michigan 4-0 Friday for its ninth consecutive road win.
The Boilermakers (33-17, 13-6 Big Ten) held their ground one game behind Illinois (14-5 Big Ten) in the Big Ten standings with five games remaining in the conference schedule. The Fighting Illini visiting Alexander Field next weekend (May 16-18).
Purdue won its fifth straight series opener in league play and posted its fifth shutout victory of the season, both marks being the program's best since the 2012 Big Ten championship season (6 shutouts, 8-0 in Big Ten series openers). Morales (7-4) struck out four over 7 2/3 innings of five-hit ball, matching his longest outing of the year and the longest by any Boilermaker.
Spence connected for a 399-foot homer over the tall left field wall in the top of the seventh, the two-run blast breaking a scoreless stalemate. Two innings later, the slugger from Down Under blasted off again for a 416-foot moon shot to left center to account for the game's final margin.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• The nine-game road win streak is the program's longest since winning 10 consecutive road games in 2001 en route to setting a team record with 21 true road wins. Purdue ended the Wolverines' six-game home win streak Friday and has defeated five different teams during its streak – Ohio State, Rutgers (3), Northwestern (3), UIC and Michigan.
• Keenan Spence (10) joined Connor Caskenette (12) and Luke Gaffney (12) with 10-plus home runs this season. The Boilermakers have three players with 10 homers for just the second time in team history, joining the 1986 team that set the program record for wins (37) that stood until 2012.
• Jo Stevens, Caskenette and Spence have all barreled up for a multi-homer game over the last eight games since April 27. Purdue has three players with a multi-homer game in a season for the first time since 2011.
• Jordan Morales earned his seventh victory, tying teammate Luke Wagner for the Big Ten lead. The Boilermakers have two pitchers with seven victories for the first time since having three with eight-plus in 2012.
• Purdue improved to 17-5 since March 31, including 12-2 in Big Ten play, since March 31.
Spence robbed Mack Timbrook of a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth, making a leaping grab underneath the videoboard in right field. It marked the second game in a row a Purdue outfielder took away a potential home run after Couper Cornblum did likewise in center field in the ninth inning Tuesday at UIC.
As the second baseman, Thomas Green saved a run with a diving stop in short right field with a runner at second base in the sixth inning. The game was still scoreless at the time. Camden Gasser made an elite pick on a short hop smash, turning it into a 6-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth. The Wolverines (26-24, 11-8 Big Ten) had the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning when Jo Stevens (diving stop at third) and Luke Gaffney (pick at first) teamed up for a big out.
Cornblum's opposite-field double chased U-M starter Kurt Barr with two outs in the seventh inning. The Wolverines went to its top relief pitcher, lefty Jacob Denner, to face Mike Bolton Jr. but Bolton delivered a two-out RBI single all the same. Bolton's 13-game Big Ten hit streak is tied for the sixth longest by a Boilermaker since 2001.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 29-game on-base streak; 25-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 13-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Luke Gaffney – 15-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Couper Cornblum – 7-game on-base streak; 103 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Morales worked a trio of 1-2-3 innings and retired eight of his nine his first time through the U-M lineup. The only extra-base hit he conceded was a two-out double to the final batter he faced. The lefty rolled through the Wolverines' 7-8-9 hitters, who were a combined 0-for-9 against Morales.
Barr (5-3) was dominant his first time through the lineup, striking out six in a row and seven total. He held the Boilermakers without a hit until Spence singled to open the top of the fifth. Five of Purdue's seven hits came during a stretch of 11 batters from the seventh through ninth innings, beginning with Spence's first home run.
One more victory will lock up a Big Ten Tournament berth for the Boilermakers. They also need just one more win this weekend to clinch their first series victory in Ann Arbor since 1993. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers (33-17, 13-6 Big Ten) held their ground one game behind Illinois (14-5 Big Ten) in the Big Ten standings with five games remaining in the conference schedule. The Fighting Illini visiting Alexander Field next weekend (May 16-18).
Purdue won its fifth straight series opener in league play and posted its fifth shutout victory of the season, both marks being the program's best since the 2012 Big Ten championship season (6 shutouts, 8-0 in Big Ten series openers). Morales (7-4) struck out four over 7 2/3 innings of five-hit ball, matching his longest outing of the year and the longest by any Boilermaker.
Spence connected for a 399-foot homer over the tall left field wall in the top of the seventh, the two-run blast breaking a scoreless stalemate. Two innings later, the slugger from Down Under blasted off again for a 416-foot moon shot to left center to account for the game's final margin.
FRIDAY NOTABLES
• The nine-game road win streak is the program's longest since winning 10 consecutive road games in 2001 en route to setting a team record with 21 true road wins. Purdue ended the Wolverines' six-game home win streak Friday and has defeated five different teams during its streak – Ohio State, Rutgers (3), Northwestern (3), UIC and Michigan.
• Keenan Spence (10) joined Connor Caskenette (12) and Luke Gaffney (12) with 10-plus home runs this season. The Boilermakers have three players with 10 homers for just the second time in team history, joining the 1986 team that set the program record for wins (37) that stood until 2012.
• Jo Stevens, Caskenette and Spence have all barreled up for a multi-homer game over the last eight games since April 27. Purdue has three players with a multi-homer game in a season for the first time since 2011.
• Jordan Morales earned his seventh victory, tying teammate Luke Wagner for the Big Ten lead. The Boilermakers have two pitchers with seven victories for the first time since having three with eight-plus in 2012.
• Purdue improved to 17-5 since March 31, including 12-2 in Big Ten play, since March 31.
Avery Cook retired all four batters he faced, closing out the win with a 1-2-3 inning vs. Michigan's 6-7-8 hitters. He has pitched in the last three games and five of the last seven Big Ten games, earning two wins and two saves in the process. The sidearmer stranded inherited runners at second and third base while finishing off the eighth inning.⬇️5th: Rob HR to keep game scoreless
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 11, 2024
⬆️7th: Crush HR to open scoring
⬆️9th: Hit another HR for insurance@keenanspence32 played a gigantic role in @PurdueBaseball's big win at Michigan. 👇 #B1GBaseball pic.twitter.com/8HequgQlzO
Spence robbed Mack Timbrook of a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth, making a leaping grab underneath the videoboard in right field. It marked the second game in a row a Purdue outfielder took away a potential home run after Couper Cornblum did likewise in center field in the ninth inning Tuesday at UIC.
As the second baseman, Thomas Green saved a run with a diving stop in short right field with a runner at second base in the sixth inning. The game was still scoreless at the time. Camden Gasser made an elite pick on a short hop smash, turning it into a 6-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth. The Wolverines (26-24, 11-8 Big Ten) had the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning when Jo Stevens (diving stop at third) and Luke Gaffney (pick at first) teamed up for a big out.
Cornblum's opposite-field double chased U-M starter Kurt Barr with two outs in the seventh inning. The Wolverines went to its top relief pitcher, lefty Jacob Denner, to face Mike Bolton Jr. but Bolton delivered a two-out RBI single all the same. Bolton's 13-game Big Ten hit streak is tied for the sixth longest by a Boilermaker since 2001.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 29-game on-base streak; 25-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 13-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Luke Gaffney – 15-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Couper Cornblum – 7-game on-base streak; 103 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Morales worked a trio of 1-2-3 innings and retired eight of his nine his first time through the U-M lineup. The only extra-base hit he conceded was a two-out double to the final batter he faced. The lefty rolled through the Wolverines' 7-8-9 hitters, who were a combined 0-for-9 against Morales.
Barr (5-3) was dominant his first time through the lineup, striking out six in a row and seven total. He held the Boilermakers without a hit until Spence singled to open the top of the fifth. Five of Purdue's seven hits came during a stretch of 11 batters from the seventh through ninth innings, beginning with Spence's first home run.
One more victory will lock up a Big Ten Tournament berth for the Boilermakers. They also need just one more win this weekend to clinch their first series victory in Ann Arbor since 1993. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.