Baseball Rides Big Inning to Game 1 Win vs OSU

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball scored six times with two outs in the second inning and the extended rally allowed the Boilermakers to withstand a pair of four-run frames by Ohio State in a 10-9 series-opening victory Friday at Alexander Field.

Purdue (26-11, 13-6 Big Ten) won for the eighth time in its last nine Big Ten games, matching the same run OSU (19-17, 9-7 Big Ten) was on entering the night. The Boilermakers are now 8-4 in one-run games this season.

The game was played in front of a crowd of 2,329, which ranks as the fourth largest in the history of Alexander Field. It was a season-high total for the second game in a row as 4,592 fans have been through the gates at Alexander this week.

Eli Anderson (3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R) and Sam Flores (3-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) both enjoyed three-hit nights while teaming up to drive in seven of Purdue’s 10 runs. Anderson delivered a three-run double as the first of three consecutive run-scoring hits in the second inning. After an RBI single from Aaron Manias, Flores barreled up for a 431-foot home run over the visiting bullpen in right field, his team-leading ninth long ball of the season.

Flores drove a run in each of his first three plate appearances while surpassing the 40-RBI threshold for the season, becoming the fifth-fastest Boilermaker to register 40 RBI (by date on the calendar) this century. A Purdue player has reached 40 RBI by April 18 each of the last five seasons.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Eli Anderson: 13-game hit at home
• Avery Moore: 12-game on-base; 7-game hit; 11-game on-base in Big Ten play; 6-game on-base at home; 5-game hit in Big Ten play
• Sam Flores: 11-game on-base in Big Ten play
• Aaron Manias: 9-game on-base in Big Ten play; 5-game hit in Big Ten play
• Quincy Malbrough: 8-game-hit; 8-game on-base at home; 7-game hit at home; 6-game hit in Big Ten play
• Westin Boyle: 7-game on-base; 5-game hit; 5-game hit in Big Ten play
• Jake Kramer: 16 consecutive scoreless innings; 11 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings at home

Starting pitcher Cole Van Assen matched his career high with seven strikeouts over five-plus innings. He posted three consecutive zeros after giving up an unearned run in the top of the first. The junior retired 13 of 16 batters from the first inning through the opening out of the top of the fifth, striking out the side in the fourth inning. It was the third time through where the top four in the Buckeyes’ lineup strung together four consecutive hits, including back-to-back home runs.

Purdue managed to strand the potential tying run at third base to end the seventh and ninth innings. Graham Kollen struck out the only batter he faced – OSU’s leadoff man – to win a nine-pitch battle with runners on the corners in the top of the seventh. Jake Kramer retired four of the five batters he faced to close out the win and earn his sixth save of the season, five coming in Big Ten play. Kramer has not been charged with a run since March 15.

There was only one walk issued in the game. However, Ohio State starter Gavin Kuzniewski hit four batters over four innings and three of the HBPs led to runs. He plunked both CJ Richmond and Zach Zychowski in the six-run second inning, the second of the two coming on the first pitch to Purdue’s 9-hole hitter – loading the bases in the process.

Anderson’s three-run double landed in the shadow of the videoboard in left center but it was actually the much-traveled OSU center fielder who tried to make the diving catch. With Anderson putting the ball in play with a full count and two outs in the frame, all three runners were in motion and scored easily.

The Boilermakers extended their lead with single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings. Westin Boyle (RBI double), Flores (RBI single) and Avery Moore (RBI single) all contributed a timely run-scoring hit and those insurance runs helped win Purdue the game.

Ohio State batted around in its four-run seventh inning. One of the key plays in the frame was a strike-three wild pitch to Jacob Parr. It loaded the bases instead of ending the inning. Miles Vandenheuvel followed with a two-run single that made it a one-run game.

Trevor-Kester Johnson won a pair of lefty-lefty matchups vs two of the top hitters in the OSU lineup in the eighth inning. Entering the frame, Henry Kaczmar was 4-for-4 and Dane Harvey had hit home runs in each of his last two at-bats. Kester-Johnson has retired 11 of 13 batters faced this week.

The Boilermakers scored at least six runs in an inning for the 10th time this season. Six of those long rallies have come in Big Ten victories while Purdue has posted a 12-4 league record since March 13.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.