WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Brett Haan struck out six over seven innings of two-run ball in the nightcap in his finest outing as a Boilermaker, helping Purdue baseball split a doubleheader with Northern Illinois, 4-1 and 10-2, Saturday afternoon at Grand Park.
Sunday's rubber game will also be played at Grand Park in Westfield due to unfavorable field conditions at Alexander Field. First pitch will be at noon.
The Boilermakers (6-10) scored in six of the eight innings in which they batted in game two, scoring 10 runs for the second time in the last three games. But NIU lefty Ben Neumann (2-1) limited the Boilers to only three singles over seven innings in game one and the Huskies (9-8) led the entire game.
Brandon Krieg had two hits in both ends of the doubleheader. Evan Kennedy recorded three hits and three RBI in the nightcap, both season highs for the freshman. Jack Picchiotti connected for his first home run since April 2013 in the third inning of game two and finished the win with a pair of extra-base hits and three runs scored. Kyle Johnson also scored three times in the nightcap while picking up a pair of RBI.
Kyle Wood singled home the Boilers' only run in the eighth inning of game one and had a base hit in his first at-bat of the nightcap to extend his reached base safely streak to 12 consecutive games. He has hit safely in the last seven. Michael Vilardo's 12-game reached safely streak ended in the first game. Wood's brother Brad was NIU's third baseman in both games and finished the day 1-for-7 with a walk.
Haan's seven innings and six strikeouts were career highs in his two seasons as a Boilermaker. He worked a pair of 1-2-3 frames and both runs he allowed scored with two outs in an inning. Tim McElroy and Gavin Downs each struck out a pair in an inning of scoreless relief to finish off the win.
Mike Kornacker (1-2) was still on the mound to begin the top of the seventh of game one after giving up only one hit from the third through sixth innings. But a leadoff single and an RBI triple led to two runs in the seventh. The freshman struck out four and did not issue a walk in his longest outing of the young season.
Purdue had a base runner in each of the first three innings against Neumann, but the lefthander got in a groove after giving up a leadoff single to Harry Shipley in the bottom of the third, which was the Boilers' first hit of the day. Neumann retired 10 consecutive batters from the third through sixth innings.
Sunday, Purdue will look to snap its 10-game losing streak in rubber games that dates back to May 2012. The Boilermakers will be looking to win a weekend series after losing the opener for the first time since May 2009.
Lynn Wood, mother of #Purdue's Kyle & NIU's Brad, sporting her custom Purdue-NIU sweatshirt today in Westfield. pic.twitter.com/okAxzJXl0R
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 14, 2015
Game Two Recap
Kennedy and Cody Strong delivered consecutive RBI singles in the second inning to give Purdue an early lead. With runners on the corners and one out, Strong executed a squeeze bunt with a 2-2 count. He beat the throw to first for a hit when the first baseman was late getting back to the bag. Picchiotti went deep to right field with Johnson aboard an inning later, giving the Boilers a 4-1 lead.
After not being able to hold on to a blooper in short right field with two men on and two outs in the top of the fifth, Jordan Lewis got the run back for Purdue in the bottom of the frame with a two-out RBI single.
The Boilermakers sent nine men to the plate an inning later, scoring four times to blow the game open. Six consecutive Purdue hitters reached base safely with two outs in the inning. Krieg tripled and Johnson doubled to ignite the rally. After three consecutive walks, Kennedy delivered a two-run single into right field.
Game One Recap
Northern Illinois got a two-out solo home run from Brian Sisler in the top of the first to take an early lead it would not relinquish. Consecutive singles to open the second inning coupled with a sacrifice bunt led to another run. Kornacker kept Purdue in the game by putting up four consecutive zeros, but did not receive any run support on this day. The freshman worked 1-2-3 frames in the third and sixth, retiring three hitters in the top half of the order on both occasions.
The Boilermakers had two men aboard against Neumann in both the first and seventh innings, but were unable to capitalize. Wood hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the first and Neumann recorded a pair of key strikeouts on called strike threes in the seventh.
Krieg's ground rule double over the center field fence finally led to the Boilers' first run of the day in the eighth inning. Krieg would have had a triple or even a chance at an inside the park homer had the ball not bounced over the fence because the center fielder fell down while trying to make the catch. But Wood came through with a two-out RBI single. After a walk to Kyle Johnson, Purdue brought the tying run to the plate in the inning, but Picchiotti flew out to center field as pinch hitter to end the threat.
Micah McCulloch was 3-for-3 for NIU in the win. His leadoff singles in the second and seventh innings both led to runs.