Iowa Overcomes Boilers' Early Lead to Take Series Opener

DES MOINES, Iowa – Purdue Baseball connected for a season-high six doubles as part of a 14-hit night, but Iowa overcame an early 5-0 deficit to take Thursday’s series opener at Principal Park 10-7.

The Boilermakers’ season-long, seven-game win streak came to an end. Purdue (35-16, 18-10 Big Ten) led 5-0 after scoring four times with two outs in the second inning. It matched the largest lead the Boilers have let slip away in a loss this season.

The Hawkeyes (30-21, 13-15 Big Ten) reeled off eight unanswered runs across the fourth and fifth innings to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 10-6 lead. Iowa connected for six of its nine extra-base hits in the game in those big innings. Batting in the 9-hole, Joey Nerat hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth and a two-run blast the following frame.

Avery Moore continued his hot hitting for Purdue with three more extra-base hits. The senior doubled, tripled and doubled in his first three at-bats. His gapper into right center plated a pair of runs in the second inning and was originally ruled a double plus an error on the center fielder. After the game, the play was changed to a straight two-run triple, denying Moore of a rare three-double game but helping his pursuit of a 1.000 OPS season.

After he doubled in the top of the fourth, Moore had reached base safely in nine consecutive plate appearances dating back to his leadoff single that ignited the five-run ninth inning in Saturday’s walk-off win vs. Indiana. In those nine plate appearances, Moore was 8-for-8 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, a hit by pitch, six RBI and seven runs scored.

Brandon Rogers hit a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, connecting for a run-scoring hit for a fourth straight game since returning from a broken hand with a pinch-hit, two-run single in the May 8 win vs. Indiana. It was Rogers’ sixth homer of the season.

Sam Flores doubled twice and now has four extra-base hits over the last two games. He opened the scoring with a two-out RBI double high off the tall wall in right-center field in the first inning, trading places with Moore.

Aaron Manias connected for a double for the fourth straight game. The Boilermakers’ six doubles were their most since barreling up for seven in a February 2025 win vs. Stephen F. Austin. Purdue has 17 extra-base hits over the last two games.

In just his second start since March 28, Trey Swiderski posted his second three-hit game of the season. He doubled off the center field wall to drive in the Boilers’ final run of the night.

Jarvis Evans was Purdue’s most effective pitcher of the night, striking out four of the 13 batters he faced over three scoreless innings. He conceded just two hits, both singles, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth, striking out the side in the seventh and working a 1-2-3 eighth.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Aaron Manias: 12-game on-base; 7-game hit in Big Ten play
• Sam Flores: 9-game on-base
• Jackson Bessette: 8-game on-base
• Avery Moore: 7-game hit

Justin Hackett and Kyle Alivo teamed up for seven innings of two-run relief, striking out 12 vs. no walks, after the Boilermakers knocked around starter Maddux Frese for five runs on seven hits and two walks. Much of that production came in the second inning when Purdue batted around and scored four times with two outs. Alivo worked a pair of 1-2-3 innings and induced a double play ball in the only frame he conceded multiple hits.

Moore has multiple hits six times during his seven-game hit streak, going 17-for-27 with four walks and eight extra-base hits during the offensive surge. The senior has scored a run in six consecutive games.

With USC (20-8 Big Ten) winning an 11-inning thriller at Oregon (18-10) on Thursday, the Ducks and Boilermakers (18-10) remained tied for fourth place in the standings. Purdue can no longer leapfrog the Trojans in the standings. To earn the No. 4-seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament, and with it a bye into the single-elimination quarterfinals, the Boilers need to exceed Oregon’s win total for the remainder of this weekend. The Ducks hold a potential head-to-head tiebreaker.

The series in Des Moines continues Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.