May 11, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue baseball scored four times in each of the first three innings and rode the early lead to a 14-9 victory against Ball State Wednesday afternoon in the opener of an eight-game homestand at Lambert Field.The Boilermakers (31-16) improved to 9-2 at home this season. They led the entire game but Ball State (12-32) did not give up after falling behind 12-4, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth inning.
The Cardinals out hit Purdue, 18-15, but the Boilers took advantage of 10 free passes. Ball State used eight pitchers in the game, the hurlers combining to walk six and hit four batters. Eight of those 10 free passes either forced in a run with the bases loaded or came around to score later in an inning.
David Miller led the way with three hits and three RBIs, reaching base safely in each of his first four plate appearances. He doubled home a pair in the third inning.
Cameron Perkins and Barrett Serrato both collected two hits and scored three times. Perkins connected for a solo home run in the second inning, his team-leading eighth of the season and 16th career. Both players scored in each of the first three innings.
Chris Antonelli made his first start, batting cleanup as the designated hitter. He was productive with each of his four plate appearances, registering an RBI with a sacrifice fly to go along with a base hit, walk and hit by pitch.
Purdue turned three double plays defensively, including a pair of the inning-ending variety. Robert Ramer (6-0) induced a 5-4-3 twin killing in the first inning. Lance Breedlove did the same with the first pitch he threw in the third inning after entering the game with runners on the corners and the Boilers leading 8-4.
Sean Collins later induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth inning.
Nick Wittgren closed out the game with an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief to earn his 10th save of the year. He allowed a pair of inherited runners to score in the eighth inning, but struck out the final batter of the frame with the potential tying run on first base. The closer went on to record a 1-2-3 ninth.
Each of the first six Purdue batters to come to the plate in the first inning enjoyed a productive at-bat, helping the Boilers send 10 men to the plate during the four-run rally. Antonelli's sac fly was the only out that BSU starter Nestor Bautista (0-5) was able to record. Eric Charles, Serrato and Stephen Talbott also recorded an RBI during the inning.
Perkins' home run marked the first of six consecutive hits for Purdue in the second inning. Payton Bieker and Miller each singled home a run and Andrew Dixon drew a bases-loaded walk as a pinch hitter.
Ball State got back in the game thanks to a three-run homer from T.J. Weir in the top of the third. It was one of four hits for the Cardinals in the frame before Breedlove was able to quickly snuff out the rally with the double play ball.
Purdue answered with a four-run frame in the bottom half of the third. All four runners that scored reached base via a walk. Miller's opposite field double into the left field corner was the Boilers' first hit of the inning, plating a pair.
After Ball State made it a game again thanks to five unanswered runs over the sixth through eighth innings, Purdue responded with a pair of insurance tallies in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Bischoff drew a walk to open the inning and his pinch runner, Patrick Coghlan, scored when Jake Hansen was hit by a pitch. Perkins capped the scoring with a sac fly to left center.
The Boilermakers host Illinois this weekend for the first of their back-to-back home series to close the regular season. The two teams enter the weekend tied for third in the Big Ten standings. First pitch Friday is slated for 4 p.m.