Klug Strikes Out 8, Purdue Hits 4 Homers to Complete Sweep

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Four Boilermakers connected for a home runs in support of an eight-strikeout quality start from Austin Klug as Purdue Baseball defeated Northwestern 8-3 Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.

The Boilermakers (25-10, 12-6 Big Ten) have won seven of their last eight games in Big Ten play and improved to 16-5 overall since March. They posted their second consecutive sweep of the Wildcats (13-18-1, 5-10 Big Ten) in Chicagoland while improving to 9-1 vs. NU since a rubber game win in April 2023 at Alexander Field.

Purdue scored in each of the first three innings and six of the nine overall in a wire-to-wire victory. Sergio DeCello, Eli Anderson, CJ Richmond and Avery Moore all went deep for the Boilermakers. Richmond’s homer was his eighth of the season (taking a share of the team lead) and 30th career at the NCAA level. Anderson also connected for an opposite-field blast, his first in two seasons as a Boilermaker.

Klug took to a two-hit shutout into seventh inning in his longest outing as a Boilermaker. He gave consecutive singles to open the bottom of the seventh before handing the ball off to Thomas Howard and the bullpen. Klug struck out two hitters in the first, third and sixth innings; his eight Ks matched Jarvis Evans for the most by a Purdue pitcher this season.

SUNDAY NOTABLES
• The Boilermakers surrendered only eight runs over 28 innings in the sweep, their fewest in a Big Ten series since conceding three in an April 2024 home sweep of Michigan State. It was the fewest in a road series since giving up five in a sweep at Penn State in March 2018.
• Purdue joined No. 3-ranked Georgia Tech as the only teams to sweep Northwestern this season. The Wildcats managed to stave off a sweep vs. USC at home last month and in road series at Oregon and Washington.
• With Oregon winning its rubber game with Nebraska on Sunday in Eugene, the Boilermakers and No. 1-ranked UCLA (18-0 Big Ten) are the only teams to win five consecutive Big Ten series so far this season.
• Purdue’s sweeps at Northwestern in 2024 and 2026 marked the first ever that the program swept a Big Ten opponent in consecutive road series. The Boilermakers are 17-4 vs. NU during their streak of seven consecutive series wins dating back to 2018. Purdue has swept the Wildcats three times during that stretch.
• Northwestern’s run in the eighth inning Sunday ended the Boilermaker bullpen’s streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings, which dated back to the ninth inning of the April 4 game vs. Illinois.
• Purdue went 6-1 during its stretch of seven consecutive games vs. teams from the state of Illinois.
• The Boilermakers enjoyed their third four-win week of the season, also achieving the feat with their four-game sweep of Marist the weekend of Feb. 27-March 1 and their four victories the week of March 24-29.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Sam Flores: 14-game on-base; 10-game on-base in Big Ten play
• Avery Moore: 10-game on-base; 5-game hit; 10-game on-base in Big Ten play
• Quincy Malbrough: 6-game-hit; 5-game hit in Big Ten play; 5-game RBI in Big Ten play
• Jackson Bessette: 6-game hit; 5-game hit in Big Ten play
• Westin Boyle: 5-game on-base
• Jake Kramer: 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings

SERIES LEADERS
• Quincy Malbrough: 6-for-11, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 RBI, 3 R, SB; hit safely & drove in a run in all 3 games
• Avery Moore: 5-for-10, HR, 4 BB, HBP, 3 RBI, 2 R, Sac Bunt; hit safely in all 3 games
• Eli Anderson: 4-for-14, 2 2B, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 4 R, Sac Bunt, SB
• Jackson Bessette: 3-for-11, 2B, 3 BB, HBP, 3 R; hit safely in all 3 games
• Westin Boyle: 4-for-15, 2 2B RBI, R, 2 SB; hit safely in all 3 games
• Starting Pitchers: 17 IP, 17 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 13 K
• Bullpen: 11 IP, 8 H, R, 3 BB, 6 K

Complete recap to follow...