SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Purdue baseball scored in six innings and matched its season high with 16 hits, winning the series opener at Santa Clara 12-4 Thursday to begin the second half of the spring break trip.
The Boilermakers (7-8) recorded six extra-base hits, highlighted by multiple-run triples from Jacson McGowan and Mike Madej. Evan Kennedy and Madej both doubled and tripled in the win. Purdue had three triples for the first time since a March 2010 win at Ohio.
Madej finished the night 4-for-5 with four runs scored, posting the Boilermakers' second straight four-hit game after Nick Dalesandro had four knocks in Monday's win at Cal State Northridge. Dalesandro remained Purdue's hottest hitter, driving in a run in three plate appearances finishing the night 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. He's 12-for-21 on the spring break trip and has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games.
Jack Dellinger started on the mound for the second game in a row and was able to put up three consecutive zeros to begin the night. Shortstop Harry Shipley saved a run in the third inning with a great diving stop up the middle. Not only did he keep the ball on the infield to prevent the runner on second base from scoring, he got up and threw out SCU leadoff man Andre Nnebe for the second out of the frame.
.@MikeyMadej10 had 4 hits, scored 4 times & finished a HR shy of the cycle. He discusses the win at Santa Clara. https://t.co/J1GYt6cWUD
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 17, 2017
Shipley singled and scored in the fifth and sixth innings, helping Purdue score a combined seven times in those frames to blow the game open. McGowan tripled off the top of the wall with the bases loaded in the fifth inning in the top of the fifth. Madej's two-run triple into right field corner the following frame chased SCU starter Jacob Steffens (1-3). The Boilermakers racked up 12 hits over 5 1/3 innings against the senior after Steffens entered the night having surrendered only 23 hits in 29 1/3 innings this season.
As the first man out of the bullpen, Ross Learned (1-0) retired four of the five batters he faced and picked off a runner for the second game in a row. The lefty has worked six innings of three-hit relief over three appearances on the spring break trip. The bullpen has backed up Dellinger with a combined 12 1/3 innings of three-run relief over the last two games. Kyle Schweiger and Learnard have pitched in relief in both wins.
Santa Clara (4-13) actually had at least one base runner in every inning, putting its leadoff man aboard five times. But while Purdue was 9-for-21 with runners on base, the Broncos were just 2-for-15.
Alec Olund scored three times and also made a diving catch along the right field line with two runners aboard in the fourth inning. Kennedy had a two-out RBI double in the top of the first to help give Dellinger an early 2-0 lead. Dalesandro drove in runs in the third, sixth and eighth innings after Madej reached safely in front of him in all three frames. Bryce Bonner doubled for the third game in a row.
The four-game series continues Friday at 9 p.m. ET.