CHICAGO – Four different Boilermakers connected for a home run with a man on base and Avery Cook finished off the game with a nine-out save, propelling Purdue Baseball to an 11-9 victory at UIC on Tuesday in a battle of 30-win teams.
The Boilermakers (32-17) won their eighth straight road game dating back to March 31, posting their first victory on UIC's campus since March 2013. They also handed the Flames (31-14) just their fourth loss in 21 home games this season. Purdue finished its midweek schedule with 5-4 record. UIC entered the night undefeated in midweek action.
Luke Gaffney and Jo Stevens both went deep in the first inning as the Boilermakers batted around and scored five times. Gaffney hit his 12th home run of the season, tying Brett Roach's Purdue freshman record that has stood since 1986. Stevens connected for a three-run blast over the home bullpen in left field and now has nine long balls this season.
Ty Gill and Thomas Green both hit a two-run homer. Gill's gave the Boilers the lead back at 8-7 in the sixth inning. Green hit a laser into the UIC bullpen with two outs in the top of the eighth to account for two key insurance runs that proved to be the difference in the game.
TUESDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue has hit 64 home runs this season, matching the 1986 team for the second most in team history. Only the 1987 NCAA Regional team hit more (73).
• The Boilermakers hit four home runs for the third time this season, all in the last 11 games.
• Purdue stole five bases for the third time this season. Mike Bolton Jr. swiped second base twice, giving the program record holder 21 for the season and 95 for his career. He's the first Boilermaker ever with three 20-steal seasons.
• Cook struck out four while retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced, joining Jackson Dannelley, Aaron Suval and Cal Lambert as Purdue relievers with a nine-out save this season.
• In fact, eight of the team's 10 saves this year have been in appearances of at least three innings.
Purdue raced out to an early 6-0 lead only to see the Flames score seven unanswered runs and carry a 7-6 lead into the top of the sixth. But the Boilermakers regrouped and outscored the home side 5-2 over the final four frames.
Couper Cornblum made a leaping catch at the wall in straight away center field for the second out of the ninth inning. It likely prevented back-to-back home runs by UIC's 3-4 hitters. Kendal Ewell had hit his team-leading 17th homer moments earlier.
Stevens also made a run-saving play at third base in the sixth inning, throwing out the batter at first after a diving stop with a runner on the move from second base.
While the Boilermakers scored nine of their 11 runs on homers, the two other tallies they generated ultimately won them the game. Mike Bolton Jr. walked to open the second inning, extending his team-long and career-best on-base streak to 28 consecutive games. After the catcher threw the ball into center field, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Cornblum. Consecutive singles from Cornblum and Gaffney led to the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, with Cornblum scoring on a double play.
Purdue turned its 50th double play of the season, a 6-4-3 twin killing in the second inning. It helped limit the damage after UIC had four consecutive hits to begin the frame.
The Boilermakers entered their March 29-31 series at Ohio State with only nine true road wins since the start of 2022. If Purdue can win its fifth straight Big Ten series opener Friday at Michigan, they will equal that total in a single win streak. The Boilers have won eight straight true road games for the first time since winning their first eight during the 2012 Big Ten championship season.
This weekend, Purdue is making its first trip to Ann Arbor since April 2015. Friday's series opener is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 28-game on-base streak
• Connor Caskenette – 9-game hit streak
• Couper Cornblum – 6-game on-base streak; 102 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
The Boilermakers (32-17) won their eighth straight road game dating back to March 31, posting their first victory on UIC's campus since March 2013. They also handed the Flames (31-14) just their fourth loss in 21 home games this season. Purdue finished its midweek schedule with 5-4 record. UIC entered the night undefeated in midweek action.
Luke Gaffney and Jo Stevens both went deep in the first inning as the Boilermakers batted around and scored five times. Gaffney hit his 12th home run of the season, tying Brett Roach's Purdue freshman record that has stood since 1986. Stevens connected for a three-run blast over the home bullpen in left field and now has nine long balls this season.
Ty Gill and Thomas Green both hit a two-run homer. Gill's gave the Boilers the lead back at 8-7 in the sixth inning. Green hit a laser into the UIC bullpen with two outs in the top of the eighth to account for two key insurance runs that proved to be the difference in the game.
TUESDAY NOTABLES
• Purdue has hit 64 home runs this season, matching the 1986 team for the second most in team history. Only the 1987 NCAA Regional team hit more (73).
• The Boilermakers hit four home runs for the third time this season, all in the last 11 games.
• Purdue stole five bases for the third time this season. Mike Bolton Jr. swiped second base twice, giving the program record holder 21 for the season and 95 for his career. He's the first Boilermaker ever with three 20-steal seasons.
• Cook struck out four while retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced, joining Jackson Dannelley, Aaron Suval and Cal Lambert as Purdue relievers with a nine-out save this season.
• In fact, eight of the team's 10 saves this year have been in appearances of at least three innings.
Purdue raced out to an early 6-0 lead only to see the Flames score seven unanswered runs and carry a 7-6 lead into the top of the sixth. But the Boilermakers regrouped and outscored the home side 5-2 over the final four frames.
Couper Cornblum made a leaping catch at the wall in straight away center field for the second out of the ninth inning. It likely prevented back-to-back home runs by UIC's 3-4 hitters. Kendal Ewell had hit his team-leading 17th homer moments earlier.
Stevens also made a run-saving play at third base in the sixth inning, throwing out the batter at first after a diving stop with a runner on the move from second base.
While the Boilermakers scored nine of their 11 runs on homers, the two other tallies they generated ultimately won them the game. Mike Bolton Jr. walked to open the second inning, extending his team-long and career-best on-base streak to 28 consecutive games. After the catcher threw the ball into center field, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Cornblum. Consecutive singles from Cornblum and Gaffney led to the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, with Cornblum scoring on a double play.
Purdue turned its 50th double play of the season, a 6-4-3 twin killing in the second inning. It helped limit the damage after UIC had four consecutive hits to begin the frame.
The Boilermakers entered their March 29-31 series at Ohio State with only nine true road wins since the start of 2022. If Purdue can win its fifth straight Big Ten series opener Friday at Michigan, they will equal that total in a single win streak. The Boilers have won eight straight true road games for the first time since winning their first eight during the 2012 Big Ten championship season.
This weekend, Purdue is making its first trip to Ann Arbor since April 2015. Friday's series opener is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 28-game on-base streak
• Connor Caskenette – 9-game hit streak
• Couper Cornblum – 6-game on-base streak; 102 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)