COLUMBUS, Ohio – Luke Gaffney's three-run homer powered a five-run third inning for Purdue Baseball and Carter Doorn retired the first 13 batters he faced over 5 1/3 innings of shutout relief, leading the Boilermakers to a 7-1 victory at Ohio State on Sunday.
Jonathan Blackwell and Doorn both struck out five while teaming up with Avery Cook on a three-hitter. They held down a Buckeye lineup that had scored 20 runs on 29 hits over the first two games of the series.
Purdue (17-12, 2-4 Big Ten) scored 11 of its 19 runs in the series in the third inning. As the fourth batter of the frame, Gaffney kept his towering blast fair inside the right field foul pole. It was his second three-run homer of the week and sixth long ball of the season. He leads the Big Ten with 36 RBI.
In his finest outing as a Boilermaker, Doorn (1-0) became Purdue's first relief pitcher this season to enter the game with the bases loaded and strand all three inherited runners. He did it while taking the mound with the bases juiced and no outs in bottom of the fourth. The junior struck out the first two batters he faced, igniting his stretch of 13 consecutive batters retired as he worked true 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, sixth and seventh. By the time OSU had a base runner again with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Purdue had extended its lead to 7-1.
Blackwell also pitched well over three-plus innings, striking out the side in order to begin the game and retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.
Connor Caskenette became the first Boilermaker since May 2022 to draw four walks in a game. Purdue's cleanup hitter also singled in his final at-bat and scored on Jo Stevens' subsequent triple into the right field corner.
Keenan Taylor was productive again as the Boilermakers' designated hitter, singling twice and drawing a walk. He scored on Mike Bolton Jr.'s opposite-field double in top of the sixth. Taylor reached base safely in 7 of his 11 plate appearances in the series and was the only Boilermaker that did not strike out.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jo Stevens – 15-game on-base streak; 9-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 12-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 8-game on-base streak in all games
• Luke Gaffney – 7-game on-base streak; 6-game on-base streak in Big Ten play
Purdue drew eight walks over the first three innings on a day in which Ohio State (12-12, 2-1 Big Ten) used eight pitchers. Thomas Green drew a pair of walks in the five-run third inning, igniting the rally with a leadoff base on balls and drawing a bases-loaded walk his second time up.
The Boilermakers are back in action Wednesday when they host Valparaiso at 6 p.m. for a $3 midweek matchup at Alexander Field.
Jonathan Blackwell and Doorn both struck out five while teaming up with Avery Cook on a three-hitter. They held down a Buckeye lineup that had scored 20 runs on 29 hits over the first two games of the series.
Purdue (17-12, 2-4 Big Ten) scored 11 of its 19 runs in the series in the third inning. As the fourth batter of the frame, Gaffney kept his towering blast fair inside the right field foul pole. It was his second three-run homer of the week and sixth long ball of the season. He leads the Big Ten with 36 RBI.
In his finest outing as a Boilermaker, Doorn (1-0) became Purdue's first relief pitcher this season to enter the game with the bases loaded and strand all three inherited runners. He did it while taking the mound with the bases juiced and no outs in bottom of the fourth. The junior struck out the first two batters he faced, igniting his stretch of 13 consecutive batters retired as he worked true 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, sixth and seventh. By the time OSU had a base runner again with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Purdue had extended its lead to 7-1.
Blackwell also pitched well over three-plus innings, striking out the side in order to begin the game and retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.
Connor Caskenette became the first Boilermaker since May 2022 to draw four walks in a game. Purdue's cleanup hitter also singled in his final at-bat and scored on Jo Stevens' subsequent triple into the right field corner.
Keenan Taylor was productive again as the Boilermakers' designated hitter, singling twice and drawing a walk. He scored on Mike Bolton Jr.'s opposite-field double in top of the sixth. Taylor reached base safely in 7 of his 11 plate appearances in the series and was the only Boilermaker that did not strike out.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jo Stevens – 15-game on-base streak; 9-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 12-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 8-game on-base streak in all games
• Luke Gaffney – 7-game on-base streak; 6-game on-base streak in Big Ten play
Purdue drew eight walks over the first three innings on a day in which Ohio State (12-12, 2-1 Big Ten) used eight pitchers. Thomas Green drew a pair of walks in the five-run third inning, igniting the rally with a leadoff base on balls and drawing a bases-loaded walk his second time up.
The Boilermakers are back in action Wednesday when they host Valparaiso at 6 p.m. for a $3 midweek matchup at Alexander Field.