Boilers topple Indiana in series finale, 14-5
May 1, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Hoosier Baseball (25-19, 6-9 Big Ten) closed out the weekend with a 14-5 road loss at Purdue (30-13, 10-5). Wes Wilson was certainly not the issue, however, as the senior catcher went 3-for-4 with two homeruns, three RBI and three runs scored on Sunday.
Four straight balls sent back up the middle to start the bottom of the first resulted in three hits and a Boilermaker run. Purdue is now outscoring the opposition 104-28 in the opening inning this season.
Their lead would be short-lived though when the Hoosiers responded with two runs in the next half inning. One pitch after hooking a would-be homerun just in front of the left field foul pole, Wilson shortened it up and pulled a single into left. Joey DeNato followed by driving a pitch through the right side of the infield. A walk then loaded the bases full of Hoosiers with no outs, bringing Trace Knoblauch to the plate. Playing his first outfield since Little League, Knoblauch created some havoc with his bat. He stroked a two-strike pitch past the out-stretched arm of the PU second baseman, good for two runs batted in.
Indiana surrendered their edge the very next inning, letting a two-out pop fly drop in between three on-looking defenders. The next Boiler batter capitalized on the mistake, recording a wind-aided two-run homer to put Purdue up 3-2.
Unearned runs number 6, 7, and 8 of the series came in the fifth on the back of an E6 and botched taylor-made double play opportunity for the Hoosiers. Purdue's three-run bomb was the only PU hit of the inning.
The Hoosiers then got back into it with a pair of sixth inning tallies, slicing the deficit in half at 6-4. It was Wilson creating the carnage, depositing a two-run longball over the left field wall.
Two runs is as close as it would get for the Cream and Crimson though. Some more shoddy defense in the seventh contributed to a five-spot for Purdue. The Boilers later added on three more scores before the Sunday afternoon nightmare came to end at 14-5.
Indiana now gets a break from midweek competition due to exam week, returning to competition on Friday, May 6 for a home series with the Northwestern Wildcats.
