April 9, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Purdue Nine split a doubleheader against Michigan State thanks to the right arm of Ricky Heines and a timely triple by Nick Overmyer. The Boilermakers won the first game 1-0 before falling in the nightcap 3-0.
Heines pitched a complete-game shutout in Monday's opener, his fourth complete game and third shutout of the season. Heines (5-2) allowed seven hits and struck out five.
Purdue (13-12, 3-4 Big Ten) scored the only run of the first game in the fourth inning on Overmyer's triple to right-center, scoring Jon Moore from first base. Moore walked with one out to set up Overmyer's RBI.
Heines' mastery on the mound lowered his Big Ten earned-run average to 0.64, having allowed one earned run in 14 innings. In his last three starts on the hill, the senior from San Antonio, Texas, has allowed one run in 23 innings and 15 hits while striking out 16.
In the second game, Michigan State scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings against Boilermaker starter Dan Sattler (1-2).
The Boilermakers were unable to push any runs across the plate against MSU starter John Dwan. It was the third time the Boilermakers faced Dwan in four years and scored one run against the southpaw in 20 innings, managing just nine hits.
In Monday's twinbill, the Boilermakers stranded 18 runners on base, nine in each game.
Purdue travels to Illinois State on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. non-conference game before returning home for a four-game Big Ten series against intrastate rival Indiana. The first pitch of the IU series is slated for 4 p.m. on Friday, April 13.