CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Purdue baseball recorded 13 hits to match No. 12 Illinois in the hit column, but three multi-run homers proved to be the difference as the Fighting Illini took the opener of the Big Ten series, 10-5, Saturday afternoon.
The Boilermakers (11-22, 1-6 Big Ten) dropped their sixth straight Big Ten game while Illinois (27-6-1, 6-1 Big Ten) won its eighth consecutive game overall.
The Fighting Illini received home runs from Pat McInerney, Ryan Nagle and Reid Roper over the first five innings to open up leads of 7-0 and 10-1. Purdue scored three in the seventh thanks in part to a two-run homer from Brandon Krieg, but was unable to bring the potential tying run to the plate.
The Boilermakers racked up eight hits over six innings against Illinois ace Kevin Duchene (5-1), who entered the day having surrendered only 6.6 hits per nine innings. But other than an RBI single from Ted Snidanko in the third inning, Purdue was unable to get a big hit against the left-hander. The Boilers had at least two base runners in each of the first four innings, but left eight men on base while Duchene was on the mound.
The Fighting Illini scored seven of their 10 runs on homers. Each of the first six batters to come to the plate in the first inning for Illinois had a productive at-bat, punctuated by McInerney's three-run homer to left field that completed the five-run rally. The big inning proved to be the difference in the game.
Kyle Johnson recorded his fifth career three-hit game for Purdue, all three knocks coming against Duchene. Cody Strong and Kyle Wood also reached base safely three times thanks to two hits and a walk. Michael Vilardo and Krieg also had a pair of hits. The 13 hits matched the Boilers' second most in a game this season.
Tanner Andrews worked three innings of one-run relief in his collegiate debut. He managed to limit the Illini to only the one run after he gave up two singles and a walk to begin his outing. The freshman worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning against Illinois' 2-3-4 hitters and Mike Lutz set down Illinois' 1-2-3 hitters in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Wood improved to 13-for-24 in his career at Illinois Field, hitting safely for a seventh consecutive game at the ballpark. He has now reached base safely in 13 straight Big Ten games dating back to last season. Johnson (14 straight games) and Krieg (11) also kept overall reached base safely streaks alive. But Jack Picchiotti's 14-game reached safely streak in Big Ten action came to an end with an 0-for-5 day.
Harry Shipley walked, singled, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and scored a run. He scored on Strong's RBI single in the top of the seventh after leading off the frame with a hit. Krieg followed with his first homer of 2015 and sixth as a Boilermaker.
Game two of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
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