WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Four Purdue pitchers teamed up for seven consecutive zeros and 13 strikeouts, but Illinois' five two-out runs over the first two innings held up in a 5-4 final Thursday at Alexander Field.
The Fighting Illini (31-17, 16-6 Big Ten) moved within one victory of clinching at least a share of the Big Ten Conference title. One loss by Nebraska (15-7 Big Ten) would also be enough be enough to make Illinois the league champion.
The remainder of the series is back to the original schedule announced Monday – game 2 Friday at 8 p.m. ET and the regular-season finale Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, both live on Big Ten Network.
The Boilermakers (33-20, 13-9 Big Ten) suffered their third one-run defeat in their last five Big Ten games. However, due to results around the league Thursday, they did officially clinch a Big Ten Tournament berth. Purdue lost a Big Ten series opener for only the second time this season and first since March 29 at Ohio State.
Ryan Moerman hit a two-out, three-run homer in the first inning, his Big Ten-leading 16th long ball. Camden Janik delivered a two-out, two-run double the following frame to make it 5-0 Illinois.
The Boilermakers' 13 strikeouts were a season high in Big Ten play. Jordan Morales struck out seven over five innings, giving him 248 for his career and an opportunity to reach the 250 milestone in his start next week at the Big Ten Tournament next week. Davis Pratt, Avery Cook and Carter Doorn all had a pair of punchouts while teaming up for four innings of hitless relief.
Doorn remained unscored upon in Big Ten play, extending his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 18. He retired the final six batters he faced consecutively. The sweep at Northwestern the final weekend of April marked the only Big Ten series in which Doorn did not pitch this season.
Cook took the mound for the 12th time in the last 17 games and made his seventh appearance in the last nine Big Ten games. He escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Moerman to end the top of the seventh, pitching over an inning-opening error and a pair of walks.
Morales (7-5) retried nine of the final 11 batters he faced, striking out five during that stretch. A leadoff single by Janik in the fifth inning was Illinois' final hit of the night. He was erased by an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, the 52nd turned of the season by the Boilermakers.
Connor Caskenette reached base three times and scored twice, his singles in the second and fourth innings leading to runs. Thomas Green also had a pair of hits, including a two-out RBI single to plate Caskenette in the fourth.
Logan Sutter's two-out double into the right field corner in the bottom of the sixth, his team-leading 16th, helped Purdue make it a one-run game. Green and Couper Cornblum followed with infield hits to score the run.
But the Illini bullpen also had a strong night, with Ben Plumley and Joseph Glassey teaming up for 3 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. The Boilermakers had just one base runner over the final three frames.
Jack Crowder (6-1) matched Morales with seven strikeouts while pitching into the sixth inning. Sutter's double was the only extra-base hit he surrendered.
Mike Bolton Jr. reached on a two-base error on a ball that got through the Illini first baseman, but his team-long 31-game on-base streak (hit, walk, HBP) came to an end. He was also kept off base (via a hit, walk, HBP) in Big Ten play for the first time since April 28, 2023.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Couper Cornblum – 10-game on-base streak; 8-game hit streak in all games; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 106 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
• Carter Doorn – 18 consecutive scoreless innings in Big Ten play
The series continues Friday at 8 p.m. ET with Luke Wagner (Purdue) and Cooper Omans (Illinois) on the mound.
The Fighting Illini (31-17, 16-6 Big Ten) moved within one victory of clinching at least a share of the Big Ten Conference title. One loss by Nebraska (15-7 Big Ten) would also be enough be enough to make Illinois the league champion.
The remainder of the series is back to the original schedule announced Monday – game 2 Friday at 8 p.m. ET and the regular-season finale Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, both live on Big Ten Network.
The Boilermakers (33-20, 13-9 Big Ten) suffered their third one-run defeat in their last five Big Ten games. However, due to results around the league Thursday, they did officially clinch a Big Ten Tournament berth. Purdue lost a Big Ten series opener for only the second time this season and first since March 29 at Ohio State.
Ryan Moerman hit a two-out, three-run homer in the first inning, his Big Ten-leading 16th long ball. Camden Janik delivered a two-out, two-run double the following frame to make it 5-0 Illinois.
The Boilermakers' 13 strikeouts were a season high in Big Ten play. Jordan Morales struck out seven over five innings, giving him 248 for his career and an opportunity to reach the 250 milestone in his start next week at the Big Ten Tournament next week. Davis Pratt, Avery Cook and Carter Doorn all had a pair of punchouts while teaming up for four innings of hitless relief.
Doorn remained unscored upon in Big Ten play, extending his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 18. He retired the final six batters he faced consecutively. The sweep at Northwestern the final weekend of April marked the only Big Ten series in which Doorn did not pitch this season.
Cook took the mound for the 12th time in the last 17 games and made his seventh appearance in the last nine Big Ten games. He escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Moerman to end the top of the seventh, pitching over an inning-opening error and a pair of walks.
Morales (7-5) retried nine of the final 11 batters he faced, striking out five during that stretch. A leadoff single by Janik in the fifth inning was Illinois' final hit of the night. He was erased by an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, the 52nd turned of the season by the Boilermakers.
Connor Caskenette reached base three times and scored twice, his singles in the second and fourth innings leading to runs. Thomas Green also had a pair of hits, including a two-out RBI single to plate Caskenette in the fourth.
Logan Sutter's two-out double into the right field corner in the bottom of the sixth, his team-leading 16th, helped Purdue make it a one-run game. Green and Couper Cornblum followed with infield hits to score the run.
But the Illini bullpen also had a strong night, with Ben Plumley and Joseph Glassey teaming up for 3 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. The Boilermakers had just one base runner over the final three frames.
Jack Crowder (6-1) matched Morales with seven strikeouts while pitching into the sixth inning. Sutter's double was the only extra-base hit he surrendered.
Mike Bolton Jr. reached on a two-base error on a ball that got through the Illini first baseman, but his team-long 31-game on-base streak (hit, walk, HBP) came to an end. He was also kept off base (via a hit, walk, HBP) in Big Ten play for the first time since April 28, 2023.
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Couper Cornblum – 10-game on-base streak; 8-game hit streak in all games; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 106 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
• Carter Doorn – 18 consecutive scoreless innings in Big Ten play
The series continues Friday at 8 p.m. ET with Luke Wagner (Purdue) and Cooper Omans (Illinois) on the mound.