OXFORD, Miss. – Kyle Iwinski limited a potent lineup to two runs over five innings, but Purdue baseball was 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position while stranding a season-high 14 runners on base – including eight over the final three innings – in a 6-1 loss at No. 4 Ole Miss on Sunday.
The Boilermakers (8-7) were the victims of a series sweep for the first time since April of last season vs. Belmont. Purdue left 17 runners on base in the finale of that series. The 14 LOB on Sunday were the most in a loss since that defeat vs. Belmont.
Ole Miss (14-2) has won eight consecutive games and compiled an 8-1 record against Big Ten teams over the first month of the season.
Trailing 3-1, the Boilermakers left the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings. The Rebels then scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to prevent any additional tense moments in the final frame. Purdue enjoyed a 9-8 edge in the hit column, though three of the nine hits were of the infield variety.
Iwinski (1-1) dueled fellow Northwest Indiana product Xavier Rivas in a game that featured a 2-1 score until the bottom of the sixth. Iwinski surrendered just four hits over his five innings. He walked five (one intentional) and struck out two. He induced a timely 4-6-3 double play ball after the Rebels' 2-3-4 hitters all reached safely to begin the third inning.
A two-out RBI single by Ethan Lege in the second inning ended Iwinski's consecutive scoreless innings streak at 11.
Rivas (4-0) struck out six over six innings of seven-hit ball. He issued only one walk. The Boilermakers drew six free passes – five walks, one hit by pitch – vs. the Ole Miss bullpen but were unable to deliver the big hit to cash in on all the base runners. Purdue also had a runner cut down between third base and the plate for the second out of the fifth inning.
The Boilermakers scored first when Couper Cornblum was able to scamper home from second base on a two-out infield hit by Connor Caskenette. Cornblum doubled in front of Caskenette, who was not retired in any of his three plate appearances Sunday before being lifted for a pinch runner.
Jo Stevens singled in the sixth inning to extend his team-best hit streak to 11 consecutive games. Evan Albrecht singled and walked Sunday, giving him an 18-game on-base streak dating back to the end of last season. Mike Bolton Jr. (7), Paul Toetz (7), Cam Thompson (6) and CJ Valdez (6) all have active on-base streaks of at least six games. Bolton had two hits Sunday in his return to the top of the lineup.
Jackson Dannelley worked a 1-2-3 inning vs. the dangerous top third of the Ole Miss lineup in the bottom of the seventh for Purdue's second 1-2-3 frame of the day. But the Boilermakers had to use three pitchers in the eighth inning as the Rebels batted around.
After racking up 11 strikeouts in Friday's loss, one shy of a season high for Ole Miss, Purdue pitchers had just six strikeouts in 17 innings over the final two days of the series.
The Boilermakers return to action Wednesday for the home opener at Alexander Field. First pitch vs. Northern Illinois is slated for 4 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers (8-7) were the victims of a series sweep for the first time since April of last season vs. Belmont. Purdue left 17 runners on base in the finale of that series. The 14 LOB on Sunday were the most in a loss since that defeat vs. Belmont.
Ole Miss (14-2) has won eight consecutive games and compiled an 8-1 record against Big Ten teams over the first month of the season.
Trailing 3-1, the Boilermakers left the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings. The Rebels then scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to prevent any additional tense moments in the final frame. Purdue enjoyed a 9-8 edge in the hit column, though three of the nine hits were of the infield variety.
Iwinski (1-1) dueled fellow Northwest Indiana product Xavier Rivas in a game that featured a 2-1 score until the bottom of the sixth. Iwinski surrendered just four hits over his five innings. He walked five (one intentional) and struck out two. He induced a timely 4-6-3 double play ball after the Rebels' 2-3-4 hitters all reached safely to begin the third inning.
A two-out RBI single by Ethan Lege in the second inning ended Iwinski's consecutive scoreless innings streak at 11.
Rivas (4-0) struck out six over six innings of seven-hit ball. He issued only one walk. The Boilermakers drew six free passes – five walks, one hit by pitch – vs. the Ole Miss bullpen but were unable to deliver the big hit to cash in on all the base runners. Purdue also had a runner cut down between third base and the plate for the second out of the fifth inning.
The Boilermakers scored first when Couper Cornblum was able to scamper home from second base on a two-out infield hit by Connor Caskenette. Cornblum doubled in front of Caskenette, who was not retired in any of his three plate appearances Sunday before being lifted for a pinch runner.
Jo Stevens singled in the sixth inning to extend his team-best hit streak to 11 consecutive games. Evan Albrecht singled and walked Sunday, giving him an 18-game on-base streak dating back to the end of last season. Mike Bolton Jr. (7), Paul Toetz (7), Cam Thompson (6) and CJ Valdez (6) all have active on-base streaks of at least six games. Bolton had two hits Sunday in his return to the top of the lineup.
Jackson Dannelley worked a 1-2-3 inning vs. the dangerous top third of the Ole Miss lineup in the bottom of the seventh for Purdue's second 1-2-3 frame of the day. But the Boilermakers had to use three pitchers in the eighth inning as the Rebels batted around.
After racking up 11 strikeouts in Friday's loss, one shy of a season high for Ole Miss, Purdue pitchers had just six strikeouts in 17 innings over the final two days of the series.
The Boilermakers return to action Wednesday for the home opener at Alexander Field. First pitch vs. Northern Illinois is slated for 4 p.m. ET.