Indiana Baseball Crushes Purdue Bullpen, Evens Series With 10-2 Win
Indiana's bats were quiet in the first six innings, but the Hoosiers exploded in the seventh and ninth innings on their way to a 10-2 win over Purdue on Saturday at Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Ind.
The win tied the series at one game apiece ahead of Sunday's rubber match. It also made a highly contested Big Ten title race even more heated. Indiana is now one game behind Purdue for first place in the Big Ten, while Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan were all within two games of the Boilermakers at the conclusion of Saturday's game.
The game started out slow for both sides at the plate. Purdue starting pitcher Luke Wagner held Indiana hitless through two innings, and he induced a double play in the third after allowing a Devin Taylor single. Purdue mustered just two baserunners in the first three innings against Indiana starting pitcher Connor Foley.
Wagner retired the Hoosiers in order again in the fourth, and then the Boilermakers' bats awoke. Foley got a ground ball out to start the inning, but then he found himself in trouble after hitting two batters in a row. With two outs, Purdue right fielder Keenan Spence stroked a line drive up the middle to score Connor Caskenette, the first run of the game.
Foley's day was done after four innings, having thrown 58 pitches and allowing two hits, one run, two walks, two batters hit by pitch and two strikeouts.
Indiana's lineup remained cold with one-two-three innings in the fifth and sixth. But Indiana left-handed pitcher Ty Bothwell matched Wagner in those innings to keep the Hoosiers in the game. Then it was time for Indiana to strike.
Jackson Dannelly relieved Wagner, and Indiana immediately jumped on him. Designated hitter Joey Brenczewski singled through the left side to score Mitchell and tie the game, and first baseman Brock Tibbitts put the Hoosiers ahead, 2-1, with an RBI single.
Indiana center fielder Carter Mathison broke the game open with a three-run home run in the seventh, his 12th of the season. Mathison has 41 career home runs, putting him seven away from breaking the program's all-time record.
T7 | CARTER GOES BIG FLY ‼️
— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) May 4, 2024
HOME RUN 41 OF HIS CAREER!@carter_mathison | #IUBase pic.twitter.com/ixg6hb4Bfp
Second baseman Jasen Oliver added an RBI double to complete Indiana's six-run seventh inning. Dannelly was credited with four hits and four runs in just 0.1 innings of work, and Davis Pratt allowed three runs in two innings.
Indiana added four insurance runs in the ninth inning, thanks to doubles from Pyne and Tyler Cerny, plus an RBI single from Mitchell. After just one hit through six innings, Indiana had 12 hits across the seventh, eighth and ninth.
Bothwell was tremendous in relief for the Hoosiers, as he allowed just six baserunners across the final five innings to secure the win. He let in an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but that did nothing to take away from his effort out of the bullpen. Bothwell pitched five innings and allowed five hits, one unearned run, one walk and two strikeouts.
The in-state rivalry series will be decided on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on BTN-plus.
JACK ANKONY