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

EVANSTON, Ill. – Four Boilermakers connected for a home run 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 10. 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 (earning 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 a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning in his longest outing as a Boilermaker. He gave up 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 Rice, 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 time 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.
• Purdue enjoyed a 27-7 edge in free passes for the series (20 walks, 7 HBP for the Boilers; 6 walks, 1 HBP for the Wildcats).

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, 4 ER, 3 BB, 13 K
• Bullpen: 11 IP, 8 H, R, 3 BB, 6 K

DeCello went deep to right center with two outs in the second inning. Anderson led off the top of the third with another home run. Richmond’s two-out, two-run shot in the top of the fifth made it 5-0 Purdue. Moore’s rocket down the left field line in the seventh was also an inning-opening homer.

Klug retired seven of the first eight batters he faced and 18 of 22 through his six scoreless innings. He retired the leadoff man in all six. The senior joined Zach Erdman (8 on Feb. 14 vs. Portland) and Cole Van Assen (April 3 vs. Illinois) as Boilermakers to work six shutout frames in a start this season. That trio led the way this weekend as Purdue only used seven pitchers to cover 28 innings. The Boilers did not have to go to the bullpen before the sixth inning in any of the three games.

Anderson singled to lead off the game. A pair of passed balls allowed Purdue to score on the first out of the game as Quincy Malbrough’s RBI ground out plated Anderson from third base.

After Northwestern had cut the Boilers’ lead in half with three unanswered runs, they responded with four hits in the top of the ninth to tack on a pair of insurance tallies. Moore and Richmond drove in runs after a leadoff single from Malbrough and a double to the wall in right field from Sam Flores.

Purdue is back in action Tuesday when it hosts Miami (Ohio) in the opener of a five-game homestand. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET at Alexander Field.