OSU's Homers Eliminate Purdue from B1G Tournament ChaseOSU's Homers Eliminate Purdue from B1G Tournament Chase

OSU's Homers Eliminate Purdue from B1G Tournament Chase

Ohio State went deep three times as the first visiting team to hit multiple homers at Alexander this year, defeating Purdue 7-0.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.
– Ohio State went deep three times to left field, becoming the first visiting team to hit multiple home runs at Alexander Field this season while defeating Purdue baseball 7-0 in Thursday's series opener.

The Boilermakers (20-32, 7-14 B1G) were officially eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention. The Buckeyes (29-24, 10-12 B1G) joined Northwestern and Maryland in a three-way tie for seventh place in the standings.

Purdue starter Trent Johnson struck out seven over 7 1/3 innings, his longest outing as a Boilermaker. He entered the night having allowed only one home run in 53 innings this season. Johnson (3-3) posted five consecutive scoreless innings after giving up a two-out solo homer to Dillon Dingler in the top of the first. But Brent Todys led off the seventh with another long ball to left field and Brady Cherry hit a three-run shot the following frame as the last batter Johnson faced.

Ohio State's three home runs were the most by a visiting team at Alexander since Minnesota slugged four as part of an 18-run outburst on a hitter-friendly Saturday in April 2018.

Johnson retired 16 of the 20 batters he faced between the solo homers by Dingler and Todys, keeping it a 1-0 game until the seventh inning.

But the Boilermakers were shutout for the seventh time this season. Indianapolis native Garrett Burhenn (6-3) struck out six and induced 10 ground ball outs over eight innings of six-hit ball. Purdue hit into inning-ending double plays in the second and sixth. The Boilermakers had six base runners over the first five innings, but had a runner picked off at first, another erased on a twin killing, and then stranded a pair in both the third and fifth. Burhenn retired the leadoff man in each of his first seven frames.

Cole McKenzie and Tyler Powers both recorded a pair of singles, accounting for four of the Boilermakers' six hits. Evan Albrecht also reached base safely twice via a single and hit by pitch.

McKenzie extended his season-long reached base safely streak to 20 consecutive games with his 12th multi-hit game during the streak. But Zac Fascia's team-long 15-game hit streak was snapped Thursday. Ryan Howe's 11-game hit streak in Big Ten play also came to an end.

Game 2 of the series is Friday at 6 p.m. ET.