Most Memorable Games Archive: 2017 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's 2018 season will ultimately go down as one of the finest in program history. By winning 38 games, finishing second in the Big Ten standings and earning a No. 2 seed at an NCAA Regional, the Boilermakers followed up on their 19-win improvement from a year earlier in a big way.
Many of the same players that experienced the lows of 2016's 10-win campaign were integral parts of one of the most exciting seasons in the modern era of the program. They were the driving force behind a two-year turnaround in which Purdue posted a 28-win improvement while seeing its conference record go from 2-22 to 17-6.
The 2012 Boilermakers will always be held in the highest regard for everything they accomplished – winning a school-record 45 games and the program's first Big Ten title in over a century, earning the right to host an NCAA Regional, and producing seven MLB Draft picks. But in many ways the 2018 season was more exciting because there were more peaks and valleys. An 8-1 start was followed by a forgettable 1-7 spring break trip. Before catching fire and winning 13 straight games from April 20 to May 9, Purdue had been outscored 66-25 in its previous eight games.
Finding unique ways to win leads to memorable moments and there were a host of them in Mark Wasikowski's second year as head coach. The Boilermakers won their final 13 games at Alexander Field, a home win streak that will rank as the third longest active mark in the country entering 2019.
Looking back at the entire 59-game season reveals that some games were certainly more memorable than others. This annual list is a compilation of the Boilermakers' most memorable games of 2018 as selected by the athletics communications staff. HONORABLE MENTION March 9 – at Tulane 1, Purdue 0: The top pitchers' duel of the season played out in the opener of the spring break trip. Tanner Andrews and Tulane's Kaleb Roper posted matching zeros for seven innings until The Green Wave broke with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. The Boilermakers had runners at second and third when the game ended. Full Recap / Box Score
April 6 – Purdue 4, at No. 10 Indiana 2: Jacson McGowan hit a two-run, opposite-field homer in the fourth inning and the Boilermakers broke a 2-2 stalemate with two runs in the ninth inning, winning their first game in Bloomington since 2010. Starting pitchers Tanner Andrews (6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 6 K) and IU's Jonathan Stiever (8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 7 K) both pitched like Friday aces. They were both selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft in June. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
April 8 – at No. 10 Indiana 7, Purdue 5 (13 Innings): Relievers shined in this BTN-televised rubber game in Bloomington. Purdue's bullpen combined for nine innings of four-run ball. The Hoosiers' was even better with 9 2/3 of five-hit relief, conceding just an unearned run while not issuing a walk. Charlie Nasuti (3-for-6) and Jacson McGowan (2-for-5, 3 RBI) helped the Boilermakers build an early lead, but the Hoosiers pulled even on a homer in the seventh and won it on a walk-off blast in the 13th. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
April 27 – at Purdue 4, Rutgers 0: An early two-run squeeze bunt made for a unique baseball feat on a night in which the Boilermakers played with heavy hearts. The Boilermakers posted their sixth straight win while wearing Team Landyn bracelets. The Purdue players learned of the passing of 10-year-old Landyn Griffith that morning. Despite batting brain cancer, Landyn had chosen to attend the 5-3 win vs. IU two days earlier. Alec Olund scored from second base on Tyler Powers' two-run squeeze and Tanner Andrews worked seven shutout innings. Full Recap / Box Score
May 15 – at Purdue 7, Oral Roberts 6: The Boilermakers entered the final week of the regular season very much on the bubble in their pursuit of an NCAA Regional bid. And a win vs. Summit League champion Oral Roberts was an important first result in what turned out to be a season-defining 4-0 week at Alexander. The program's seven graduating seniors were presented their diplomas by Purdue president Mitch Daniels before the game. Evan Warden opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run single and Evan Kennedy's pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the eighth accounted for what proved to be the winning run. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 19 – at Purdue 2, No. 17 Michigan 1: The Boilermakers' only two hits in the win both came in the fifth inning. On Senior Day, it was freshman Owen Jansen's bases-loaded, two-run double that proved to be the difference. Ryan Beard matched his season-high with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Ross Learnard, Evan Warden and Harry Shipley were all key parts of the ninth inning as Purdue finished off its first sweep of Michigan since 1993 and ended the regular season riding a 13-game home win streak. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 23 – No. 27 Purdue 8, Ohio State 2: Tanner Andrews induced 14 ground ball outs while pitching the first complete game by a Boilermaker at the Big Ten Tournament since 2010. The senior retired 21 of the 23 batters from the first through eighth innings after OSU took an early lead on a two-out, two-run double in the top of the first. Harry Shipley tied his career high with five RBI, highlighted by a three-run double in the sixth inning that blew the game open. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 26 – No. 27 Purdue 11, Illinois 5: An amazing diving catch by center fielder Skyler Hunter to end the seventh inning punctuated this Big Ten Tournament semifinal victory. By then the Boilermakers had already turned a 4-1 deficit into a 9-5 lead, scoring fourth times in both the fifth and seventh innings. Trent Johnson, Bo Hofstra and Dalton Parker teamed up for 6 1/3 innings of two-hit relief as Purdue won its seventh straight game. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 27 – No. 11 Minnesota 6, No. 27 Purdue 4: The top two seeds in the Big Ten Tournament played an entertaining back-and-forth battle in the championship game. The Boilermakers held leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but it was the Gophers that scored the game's final three runs. Evan Kennedy and Evan Warden recorded hits against Minnesota closer Max Meyer in the eighth inning, but pinch runner Charlie Nasuti was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Ben Mezzenga while trying to score the tying run. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
June 2 – No. 27 Purdue 14, North Carolina A&T 4: The Boilermakers scored 12 unanswered runs from the fourth through eighth innings to pull away after A&T led 3-2 entering the top of the fourth. Ben Nisle led the way at the plate with four hits and four RBI en route to representing Purdue on the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team. But it was Dalton Parker's four innings of scoreless relief that really flipped the momentum in favor of the Boilermakers. He retired three consecutive batters in three of his four frames. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights TOP 10 10.) April 17 – Purdue 3, at Indiana State 1 (10 Innings): Fresh off a rough weekend in which they had been outscored 40-15 by Minnesota, the Boilermakers found a way to win despite scoring in only the first & final innings of the game. But the pitching carried the load in Purdue's first extra-innings win on the road since April 2014 at Michigan State. Trent Johnson (3 IP, 0 H, 3 K), Patrick J. Smith (2 IP, 1 H, 2 K), Trevor Cheaney (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 4 K) and Ross Learnard (2 1/3 IP, 0 H, 3 K) all worked at least two scoreless innings in the midweek win. Charlie Nasuti's bases-loaded sacrifice fly plated Nick Dalesandro as the go-ahead run in the 10th. Learnard struck out the side to close out the win, the first of four victories he would close out during a week that ignited Purdue's 13-game win streak. Full Recap / Box Score
9.) April 25 – at Purdue 5, No. 15 Indiana 3: After a thrilling weekend series in Bloomington earlier in the month, the Hoosiers made the trip up to Alexander Field for a rare non-conference series. The Boilermakers scored first and never trailed, turning three double plays behind starter Ryan Beard (5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 K). Four Purdue relievers teamed up to retire all 10 batters they faced to close a fifth consecutive win. The game was televised live by ESPNU and played in front of a record crowd of 2,369, marking the third time in four games that the Indiana-Purdue rivalry has produced a crowd of 2,000-plus at Alexander. Among the crowd was 10-year-old Landyn Griffith, a member of the local Junior Bronchos travel baseball program. Even while batting brain cancer, Landyn found the strength to join his family at the ballpark that night. He was honored on the field before the game and by his teammates in the stands throughout the night. Team Landyn would become Purdue's rallying cry for the remainder of the year after learning of his passing about 36 hours later. Landyn's desire to be at the ballpark that night made an impact on both teams. Full Recap / Box Score
8.) Feb. 23 – Purdue 5, Incarnate Word 4 (10 Innings): In 2017, the Boilermakers won in walk-off fashion four times at Alexander Field. Both such wins the memorable 2018 campaign came in neutral-site affairs. Incarnate Word has been an annual participant at Notre's Alamo Irish Classic since the tournament is played in the same city as UIW's campus. The Cardinals were one out away from beating Purdue, which they had done to Notre Dame the night before. Instead, Evan Kennedy and Evan Warden recorded consecutive two-out doubles in the ninth inning to extend the game. After a 1-2-3 inning from native Texan Trevor Cheaney in the 10th, Skyler Hunter's leadoff double led to the game-winning run. Nick Dalesandro singled up the middle for his second walk-off hit as a Boilermaker. The victory made Purdue 5-0 to open the season for the first time since 1991. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
7.) April 22 – Purdue 8, at Maryland 6: Comebacks were a big reason why the Boilermakers won 13 consecutive games from April 19 to May 9. Four times during the streak Purdue rallied after trailing in the sixth inning or later. Due in part to injury, UMD's normal Friday starter, Tyler Blohm, started this series finale. And he limited the Boilermakers to two runs on seven hits through six innings. But the bottom of the lineup ignited a rally against the lefty in the top of the seventh. A leadoff double, three walks and RBI fielder's choice set the stage for Skyler Hunter's game-changing at-bat. Purdue cleared the bases and tied the game on Hunter's single into left center. Nick Dalesandro was able to score from first base after the Terps threw the ball away twice. When the dust cleared, the Boilermakers had used a five-run frame to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 7-6 lead. The bullpen took care of the rest as Cameron Williams, Trevor Cheaney and Ross Learnard teamed up to retire the next eight UMD batters. Learnard closed out his third straight game and fourth of the week to become the first reliever to win Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors since 2015. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
6.) May 9 – Purdue 10, at Ball State 8: After the Cardinals' hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 8-5, it appeared as though Purdue's win streak would be snapped at 12 in Muncie. Instead, the Boilermakers posted their second five-run ninth inning of the season. The momentum flipped on Harry Shipley's inside the park home run to center field, Purdue's first since 2014. With Evan Warden and Owen Jansen aboard, Shipley hit a sinking line drive that got by the diving center fielder. Ben Nisle later delivered a two-out, two-run single. The Boilermakers' 13-game win streak was the longest active run in the nation at the time and matched the program's single-season record from 1993 and 2001. Shipley extended his reached base safely streak to 23 consecutive games Skyler Hunter recorded an RBI for a sixth straight game. Full Recap / Box Score / Inside the Park Home Run
5.) April 21 – Purdue 4, at Maryland 3 (11 Innings): Solo homers accounted for three of the Boilermakers' four runs, with Jacson McGowan putting on a show late in the game. He connected for towering home runs to left field in the ninth and 11th innings. McGowan hit the first game-tying home run in a Purdue win since 2012 and then went on post his first collegiate multi-homer game by going deep against a different pitcher in the 11th. Harry Shipley connected for a home run in the third inning. The Purdue bullpen worked seven innings of one-run ball, with both Patrick J. Smith and Dalton Parker each pitching at least two innings. McGowan's home run total for the season stood at 11 as the Boilermakers celebrated the series-clinching win. Over the next 20 games, he would draw 25 walks, taking at least one free pass in 18 of those 20 games. He finished the season with 13 home runs (T-8th) and 49 walks (3rd), both totals ranking among the top 10 in program history and the most in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
4.) May 17 – at Purdue 3, No. 17 Michigan 0: The regular season came to a close with second-place Michigan visiting third-place Purdue in what was the biggest series in the six-year history of Alexander Field. Both teams were chasing NCAA Regional bids and had outside shots to win the league if Minnesota stumbled at Rutgers. After never holding the lead in a sweep at the hands of U-M at home a year earlier, the Boilermakers scored in each of the first two innings of the series opener. Senior Tanner Andrews (7 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 K) took care of the rest, pitching a gem in his final outing at Alexander. He had only one 1-2-3 inning, but allowed multiple batters to reach in only one frame – the top of the sixth. In that inning he was able to strikeout the Wolverines' No. 2 and 4 hitters, coming back from a 3-0 countdown to get the cleanup man looking. Andrews left the mound in the eighth to an extended standing ovation, which led to a curtain call. Harry Shipley went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. Nick Dalesandro threw out a pair of basestealers and delivered an RBI single in his final at-bat. Ross Learnard closed out the win for his 13th save, tying Purdue's single-season record that he would break later in the series. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
3.) May 4 – at Purdue 8, Northwestern 7: For the second year in a row it was the Wildcats on the schedule for the first weekend of May at Alexander as Purdue was coming off its final exams break in the schedule. In 2017, NU took the series opener to snap the Boilermakers' seven-game win streak, which also featured an impressive streak in which they had not trailed in 57 consecutive innings. A year later Purdue was riding an eight-game win streak and had not trailed in 48 consecutive innings. Things did not come easy on this night as Northwestern chased ace Tanner Andrews' with a five-run sixth inning, building a 7-5 lead thanks to a pair of multi-run homers to right field. Skyler Hunter's first career long ball, a three-run shot, had briefly given Purdue the lead back but it was still 7-5 NU entering the bottom of the eighth. Consecutive four-pitch walks to seniors Evan Kennedy and Alec Olund ignited a rally. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch hitter Bryce Bonner delivered a clutch two-run single through the left side. Nick Dalesandro drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly a few minutes later. Bo Hofstra retired all seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of relief to help set the stage for the rally. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
2.) Feb. 25 – Purdue 8, No. 30 Notre Dame 7: The first of the Boilermakers' two five-run ninth innings on the season made them champions of the Irish Alamo Classic. On getaway day in San Antonio, Purdue entered the top of the ninth trailing 7-3 and without a run since the fourth inning. Eleven batters coupled with three mid-inning pitching changes made it the longest frame of the year. And it all began with UND moving its first baseman to the mound to open the inning. Purdue quickly loaded the bases. Skyler Hunter's two-run double into the right-field corner gave him hits from both sides of the plate in the game. It also put the tying run in scoring position. With two outs, Nick Dalesandro plated Hunter with a game-tying infield single. Braden Giroux followed with the go-ahead single. Native Texan Cameron Williams still had to go through the heart of Notre Dame's lineup in the bottom of the frame. He ended up being the only Purdue pitcher to retire No. 3 hitter Nick Podkul that day. Designated hitter Alex Kerschner had also reached base four times on the day and would have batted with the tying run at first base. But the pitching change to begin the top of the ninth led to UND losing the DH. Williams finished off the win a strikeout as Purdue improved to 6-1 for the first time since 2012. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
1.) May 24 – No. 27 Purdue 5, Michigan 4: Milo Beam's unconventional mad dash around the bases made for one of the most unique walk-off wins in the history of the Big Ten Tournament. Before Evan Warden made Michigan pay for issuing consecutive intentional walks to load the bases in the ninth, pitcher Gareth Stroh enjoyed the most impressive day for the Boilermakers. Making his first collegiate start in his home state, the Nebraska native allowed just two base runners through five innings. It took a dropped strike three on what would have been the final out of the top of the sixth for the Wolverines to finally score. Even though Purdue felt like it had dominated the game, with the score tied 4-4 Michigan was only two outs away from going to extra innings for the second day in a row. Beam had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh and was making his first plate appearance of the tournament with the bases empty in the ninth. William Tribucher's 3-1 pitch to Beam caromed to the backstop and escaped the view of catcher Harrison Salter. Beam easily made it to second base and then was altered by Coach Wasikowski at third base that no one was covering the next bag. Third baseman Brock Keener had gone all the way to home plate in an effort to help Salter locate the ball. The five-pitch walk to Beam morphed into a triple. Warden cashed in on the drawn-in infield with a clean single up the middle, giving Purdue its third six-game win streak of the season. It was also the program's first walk-off victory at the Big Ten Tournament since 2005. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's 2018 season will ultimately go down as one of the finest in program history. By winning 38 games, finishing second in the Big Ten standings and earning a No. 2 seed at an NCAA Regional, the Boilermakers followed up on their 19-win improvement from a year earlier in a big way.
Many of the same players that experienced the lows of 2016's 10-win campaign were integral parts of one of the most exciting seasons in the modern era of the program. They were the driving force behind a two-year turnaround in which Purdue posted a 28-win improvement while seeing its conference record go from 2-22 to 17-6.
The 2012 Boilermakers will always be held in the highest regard for everything they accomplished – winning a school-record 45 games and the program's first Big Ten title in over a century, earning the right to host an NCAA Regional, and producing seven MLB Draft picks. But in many ways the 2018 season was more exciting because there were more peaks and valleys. An 8-1 start was followed by a forgettable 1-7 spring break trip. Before catching fire and winning 13 straight games from April 20 to May 9, Purdue had been outscored 66-25 in its previous eight games.
Finding unique ways to win leads to memorable moments and there were a host of them in Mark Wasikowski's second year as head coach. The Boilermakers won their final 13 games at Alexander Field, a home win streak that will rank as the third longest active mark in the country entering 2019.
Looking back at the entire 59-game season reveals that some games were certainly more memorable than others. This annual list is a compilation of the Boilermakers' most memorable games of 2018 as selected by the athletics communications staff. HONORABLE MENTION March 9 – at Tulane 1, Purdue 0: The top pitchers' duel of the season played out in the opener of the spring break trip. Tanner Andrews and Tulane's Kaleb Roper posted matching zeros for seven innings until The Green Wave broke with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. The Boilermakers had runners at second and third when the game ended. Full Recap / Box Score
April 6 – Purdue 4, at No. 10 Indiana 2: Jacson McGowan hit a two-run, opposite-field homer in the fourth inning and the Boilermakers broke a 2-2 stalemate with two runs in the ninth inning, winning their first game in Bloomington since 2010. Starting pitchers Tanner Andrews (6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 6 K) and IU's Jonathan Stiever (8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 7 K) both pitched like Friday aces. They were both selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft in June. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
April 8 – at No. 10 Indiana 7, Purdue 5 (13 Innings): Relievers shined in this BTN-televised rubber game in Bloomington. Purdue's bullpen combined for nine innings of four-run ball. The Hoosiers' was even better with 9 2/3 of five-hit relief, conceding just an unearned run while not issuing a walk. Charlie Nasuti (3-for-6) and Jacson McGowan (2-for-5, 3 RBI) helped the Boilermakers build an early lead, but the Hoosiers pulled even on a homer in the seventh and won it on a walk-off blast in the 13th. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
April 27 – at Purdue 4, Rutgers 0: An early two-run squeeze bunt made for a unique baseball feat on a night in which the Boilermakers played with heavy hearts. The Boilermakers posted their sixth straight win while wearing Team Landyn bracelets. The Purdue players learned of the passing of 10-year-old Landyn Griffith that morning. Despite batting brain cancer, Landyn had chosen to attend the 5-3 win vs. IU two days earlier. Alec Olund scored from second base on Tyler Powers' two-run squeeze and Tanner Andrews worked seven shutout innings. Full Recap / Box Score
May 15 – at Purdue 7, Oral Roberts 6: The Boilermakers entered the final week of the regular season very much on the bubble in their pursuit of an NCAA Regional bid. And a win vs. Summit League champion Oral Roberts was an important first result in what turned out to be a season-defining 4-0 week at Alexander. The program's seven graduating seniors were presented their diplomas by Purdue president Mitch Daniels before the game. Evan Warden opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run single and Evan Kennedy's pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the eighth accounted for what proved to be the winning run. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 19 – at Purdue 2, No. 17 Michigan 1: The Boilermakers' only two hits in the win both came in the fifth inning. On Senior Day, it was freshman Owen Jansen's bases-loaded, two-run double that proved to be the difference. Ryan Beard matched his season-high with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Ross Learnard, Evan Warden and Harry Shipley were all key parts of the ninth inning as Purdue finished off its first sweep of Michigan since 1993 and ended the regular season riding a 13-game home win streak. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 23 – No. 27 Purdue 8, Ohio State 2: Tanner Andrews induced 14 ground ball outs while pitching the first complete game by a Boilermaker at the Big Ten Tournament since 2010. The senior retired 21 of the 23 batters from the first through eighth innings after OSU took an early lead on a two-out, two-run double in the top of the first. Harry Shipley tied his career high with five RBI, highlighted by a three-run double in the sixth inning that blew the game open. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 26 – No. 27 Purdue 11, Illinois 5: An amazing diving catch by center fielder Skyler Hunter to end the seventh inning punctuated this Big Ten Tournament semifinal victory. By then the Boilermakers had already turned a 4-1 deficit into a 9-5 lead, scoring fourth times in both the fifth and seventh innings. Trent Johnson, Bo Hofstra and Dalton Parker teamed up for 6 1/3 innings of two-hit relief as Purdue won its seventh straight game. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
May 27 – No. 11 Minnesota 6, No. 27 Purdue 4: The top two seeds in the Big Ten Tournament played an entertaining back-and-forth battle in the championship game. The Boilermakers held leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but it was the Gophers that scored the game's final three runs. Evan Kennedy and Evan Warden recorded hits against Minnesota closer Max Meyer in the eighth inning, but pinch runner Charlie Nasuti was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Ben Mezzenga while trying to score the tying run. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
June 2 – No. 27 Purdue 14, North Carolina A&T 4: The Boilermakers scored 12 unanswered runs from the fourth through eighth innings to pull away after A&T led 3-2 entering the top of the fourth. Ben Nisle led the way at the plate with four hits and four RBI en route to representing Purdue on the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team. But it was Dalton Parker's four innings of scoreless relief that really flipped the momentum in favor of the Boilermakers. He retired three consecutive batters in three of his four frames. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights TOP 10 10.) April 17 – Purdue 3, at Indiana State 1 (10 Innings): Fresh off a rough weekend in which they had been outscored 40-15 by Minnesota, the Boilermakers found a way to win despite scoring in only the first & final innings of the game. But the pitching carried the load in Purdue's first extra-innings win on the road since April 2014 at Michigan State. Trent Johnson (3 IP, 0 H, 3 K), Patrick J. Smith (2 IP, 1 H, 2 K), Trevor Cheaney (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 4 K) and Ross Learnard (2 1/3 IP, 0 H, 3 K) all worked at least two scoreless innings in the midweek win. Charlie Nasuti's bases-loaded sacrifice fly plated Nick Dalesandro as the go-ahead run in the 10th. Learnard struck out the side to close out the win, the first of four victories he would close out during a week that ignited Purdue's 13-game win streak. Full Recap / Box Score
9.) April 25 – at Purdue 5, No. 15 Indiana 3: After a thrilling weekend series in Bloomington earlier in the month, the Hoosiers made the trip up to Alexander Field for a rare non-conference series. The Boilermakers scored first and never trailed, turning three double plays behind starter Ryan Beard (5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 K). Four Purdue relievers teamed up to retire all 10 batters they faced to close a fifth consecutive win. The game was televised live by ESPNU and played in front of a record crowd of 2,369, marking the third time in four games that the Indiana-Purdue rivalry has produced a crowd of 2,000-plus at Alexander. Among the crowd was 10-year-old Landyn Griffith, a member of the local Junior Bronchos travel baseball program. Even while batting brain cancer, Landyn found the strength to join his family at the ballpark that night. He was honored on the field before the game and by his teammates in the stands throughout the night. Team Landyn would become Purdue's rallying cry for the remainder of the year after learning of his passing about 36 hours later. Landyn's desire to be at the ballpark that night made an impact on both teams. Full Recap / Box Score
8.) Feb. 23 – Purdue 5, Incarnate Word 4 (10 Innings): In 2017, the Boilermakers won in walk-off fashion four times at Alexander Field. Both such wins the memorable 2018 campaign came in neutral-site affairs. Incarnate Word has been an annual participant at Notre's Alamo Irish Classic since the tournament is played in the same city as UIW's campus. The Cardinals were one out away from beating Purdue, which they had done to Notre Dame the night before. Instead, Evan Kennedy and Evan Warden recorded consecutive two-out doubles in the ninth inning to extend the game. After a 1-2-3 inning from native Texan Trevor Cheaney in the 10th, Skyler Hunter's leadoff double led to the game-winning run. Nick Dalesandro singled up the middle for his second walk-off hit as a Boilermaker. The victory made Purdue 5-0 to open the season for the first time since 1991. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
7.) April 22 – Purdue 8, at Maryland 6: Comebacks were a big reason why the Boilermakers won 13 consecutive games from April 19 to May 9. Four times during the streak Purdue rallied after trailing in the sixth inning or later. Due in part to injury, UMD's normal Friday starter, Tyler Blohm, started this series finale. And he limited the Boilermakers to two runs on seven hits through six innings. But the bottom of the lineup ignited a rally against the lefty in the top of the seventh. A leadoff double, three walks and RBI fielder's choice set the stage for Skyler Hunter's game-changing at-bat. Purdue cleared the bases and tied the game on Hunter's single into left center. Nick Dalesandro was able to score from first base after the Terps threw the ball away twice. When the dust cleared, the Boilermakers had used a five-run frame to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 7-6 lead. The bullpen took care of the rest as Cameron Williams, Trevor Cheaney and Ross Learnard teamed up to retire the next eight UMD batters. Learnard closed out his third straight game and fourth of the week to become the first reliever to win Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors since 2015. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
6.) May 9 – Purdue 10, at Ball State 8: After the Cardinals' hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 8-5, it appeared as though Purdue's win streak would be snapped at 12 in Muncie. Instead, the Boilermakers posted their second five-run ninth inning of the season. The momentum flipped on Harry Shipley's inside the park home run to center field, Purdue's first since 2014. With Evan Warden and Owen Jansen aboard, Shipley hit a sinking line drive that got by the diving center fielder. Ben Nisle later delivered a two-out, two-run single. The Boilermakers' 13-game win streak was the longest active run in the nation at the time and matched the program's single-season record from 1993 and 2001. Shipley extended his reached base safely streak to 23 consecutive games Skyler Hunter recorded an RBI for a sixth straight game. Full Recap / Box Score / Inside the Park Home Run
5.) April 21 – Purdue 4, at Maryland 3 (11 Innings): Solo homers accounted for three of the Boilermakers' four runs, with Jacson McGowan putting on a show late in the game. He connected for towering home runs to left field in the ninth and 11th innings. McGowan hit the first game-tying home run in a Purdue win since 2012 and then went on post his first collegiate multi-homer game by going deep against a different pitcher in the 11th. Harry Shipley connected for a home run in the third inning. The Purdue bullpen worked seven innings of one-run ball, with both Patrick J. Smith and Dalton Parker each pitching at least two innings. McGowan's home run total for the season stood at 11 as the Boilermakers celebrated the series-clinching win. Over the next 20 games, he would draw 25 walks, taking at least one free pass in 18 of those 20 games. He finished the season with 13 home runs (T-8th) and 49 walks (3rd), both totals ranking among the top 10 in program history and the most in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
4.) May 17 – at Purdue 3, No. 17 Michigan 0: The regular season came to a close with second-place Michigan visiting third-place Purdue in what was the biggest series in the six-year history of Alexander Field. Both teams were chasing NCAA Regional bids and had outside shots to win the league if Minnesota stumbled at Rutgers. After never holding the lead in a sweep at the hands of U-M at home a year earlier, the Boilermakers scored in each of the first two innings of the series opener. Senior Tanner Andrews (7 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 K) took care of the rest, pitching a gem in his final outing at Alexander. He had only one 1-2-3 inning, but allowed multiple batters to reach in only one frame – the top of the sixth. In that inning he was able to strikeout the Wolverines' No. 2 and 4 hitters, coming back from a 3-0 countdown to get the cleanup man looking. Andrews left the mound in the eighth to an extended standing ovation, which led to a curtain call. Harry Shipley went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly. Nick Dalesandro threw out a pair of basestealers and delivered an RBI single in his final at-bat. Ross Learnard closed out the win for his 13th save, tying Purdue's single-season record that he would break later in the series. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
3.) May 4 – at Purdue 8, Northwestern 7: For the second year in a row it was the Wildcats on the schedule for the first weekend of May at Alexander as Purdue was coming off its final exams break in the schedule. In 2017, NU took the series opener to snap the Boilermakers' seven-game win streak, which also featured an impressive streak in which they had not trailed in 57 consecutive innings. A year later Purdue was riding an eight-game win streak and had not trailed in 48 consecutive innings. Things did not come easy on this night as Northwestern chased ace Tanner Andrews' with a five-run sixth inning, building a 7-5 lead thanks to a pair of multi-run homers to right field. Skyler Hunter's first career long ball, a three-run shot, had briefly given Purdue the lead back but it was still 7-5 NU entering the bottom of the eighth. Consecutive four-pitch walks to seniors Evan Kennedy and Alec Olund ignited a rally. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch hitter Bryce Bonner delivered a clutch two-run single through the left side. Nick Dalesandro drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly a few minutes later. Bo Hofstra retired all seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of relief to help set the stage for the rally. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
2.) Feb. 25 – Purdue 8, No. 30 Notre Dame 7: The first of the Boilermakers' two five-run ninth innings on the season made them champions of the Irish Alamo Classic. On getaway day in San Antonio, Purdue entered the top of the ninth trailing 7-3 and without a run since the fourth inning. Eleven batters coupled with three mid-inning pitching changes made it the longest frame of the year. And it all began with UND moving its first baseman to the mound to open the inning. Purdue quickly loaded the bases. Skyler Hunter's two-run double into the right-field corner gave him hits from both sides of the plate in the game. It also put the tying run in scoring position. With two outs, Nick Dalesandro plated Hunter with a game-tying infield single. Braden Giroux followed with the go-ahead single. Native Texan Cameron Williams still had to go through the heart of Notre Dame's lineup in the bottom of the frame. He ended up being the only Purdue pitcher to retire No. 3 hitter Nick Podkul that day. Designated hitter Alex Kerschner had also reached base four times on the day and would have batted with the tying run at first base. But the pitching change to begin the top of the ninth led to UND losing the DH. Williams finished off the win a strikeout as Purdue improved to 6-1 for the first time since 2012. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
1.) May 24 – No. 27 Purdue 5, Michigan 4: Milo Beam's unconventional mad dash around the bases made for one of the most unique walk-off wins in the history of the Big Ten Tournament. Before Evan Warden made Michigan pay for issuing consecutive intentional walks to load the bases in the ninth, pitcher Gareth Stroh enjoyed the most impressive day for the Boilermakers. Making his first collegiate start in his home state, the Nebraska native allowed just two base runners through five innings. It took a dropped strike three on what would have been the final out of the top of the sixth for the Wolverines to finally score. Even though Purdue felt like it had dominated the game, with the score tied 4-4 Michigan was only two outs away from going to extra innings for the second day in a row. Beam had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh and was making his first plate appearance of the tournament with the bases empty in the ninth. William Tribucher's 3-1 pitch to Beam caromed to the backstop and escaped the view of catcher Harrison Salter. Beam easily made it to second base and then was altered by Coach Wasikowski at third base that no one was covering the next bag. Third baseman Brock Keener had gone all the way to home plate in an effort to help Salter locate the ball. The five-pitch walk to Beam morphed into a triple. Warden cashed in on the drawn-in infield with a clean single up the middle, giving Purdue its third six-game win streak of the season. It was also the program's first walk-off victory at the Big Ten Tournament since 2005. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights