Purdue Posts 8 Zeros to Win Homestand Opener 5-1

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Catcher Jackson Bessette homered and doubled as part of a three-hit night while working with a pitching staff that posted eight zeros for the 12th time this season, propelling Purdue Baseball to a 5-1 victory vs. Southern Indiana on Wednesday in the opener of an eight-game homestand at Alexander Field.

The Boilermakers (29-15) posted their 29th win of the season on April 29 and will now have an opportunity to register 30 wins by May 1 for the ninth time in team history. Purdue snapped a season-long four-game losing streak Wednesday.

Westin Boyle and Bessette both had three hits, teaming with Zach Zychowski (2-for-4, RBI, R) for a combined 8-for-12 showing for the bottom third of the Boilermakers’ lineup. Zychowski and Sam Flores delivered two-out RBI singles in the three-run sixth inning that gave Purdue the lead for good.

Bessette homered for the third time in the last four games at Alexander Field, opening the scoring with an opposite-field blast into the visiting team bullpen in the fourth inning. After his one-out double ignited the three-run rally two innings later, Bessette finished just a triple shy of the cycle. He lined out to the warning track in center field in his final at-bat.

Graham Kollen worked four-plus innings of one-run ball in his second start of the season, putting together his longest outing as a Boilermaker. Gavin Beuter and Joe Trenerry backed him up with two scoreless innings of relief apiece. Trevor Kester-Johnson also accounted for three outs in his team-leading 28th appearance of the season.

Kollen rolled up an inning 4-6-3 double play ball to finish off the third inning and pitched over a pair of two-out errors while retiring the first two batters of three of his four full frames. A leadoff double and sacrifice fly led to the visitors’ only run in the top of the fifth.

Beuter worked around a leadoff double the following frame, striking out a pair and cutting down the runner between second and third on a comebacker. He finished the month of April with a 0.53 ERA in 17 innings over seven appearances and has not allowed an earned run in his last 15 1/3 innings dating back to April 4.

Boyle made a pair of slick plays at shortstop to help Kester-Johnson work a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Trenerry retired six of the seven batters he faced while stranding an inherited runner. The sophomore has not allowed any of the eight inherited runners he’s had to contend with this season to score.

Purdue hosts Murray State this weekend as both teams are idle from conference play. Friday’s series opener is set for 6 p.m. ET on Star Wars Night at Alexander Field.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Eli Anderson: 17-game hit at home
• Quincy Malbrough: 15-game on-base; 12-game on-base at home
• CJ Richmond: 10-game on-base; 7-game on-base at home
• Westin Boyle: 8-game on-base at home
• Aaron Manias: 5-game on-base
• Sam Flores: 5-game on-base at home
• Zach Zychowski: 5-game on-base at home
• Gavin Beuter: 15 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run; 11 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings