Spartans lose to Purdue 10-1

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.-Michigan State baseball hung with Purdue for five innings, but the Boilmakers were able to come up big at the plate in the sixth and seventh to take game one of the weekend's four-game series in West Lafayette, 10-1, on Friday. The Spartans (13-11, 3-2 Big Ten) and Boilers (15-8, 3-2) will meet again Saturday, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Purdue put a run on the board in the first inning, to take a 1-0 lead. The next three innings would be evenly played, and the Spartans finally managed to tie the score in the fifth. Reaching on a walk, Oliver Wolcott advanced to scoring position on a passed ball. Sean Walker laid a sacrifice bunt down the third-base line and reached safely on a throwing error, allowing Wolcott to score from second on the play.

After retiring 10-straight batters, Spartan starter Mark Sorensen ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Purdue's Eric Wolfe snapped the 1-1 tie with a two-run homer to right center, and four straight hits with one out led to three more runs as the Boilermakers opened a 6-1 advantage.

The Boilermakers continued where they left off the next inning, tagging Sorensen for three more runs in the seventh before he was replaced. Adding a final run in the eighth, Purdue claimed the 10-1 win. Allowing nine runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings pitched, Sorensen took the loss as his record dropped to 1-1.

Purdue starter Jay Buente (4-1) was credited with the win, surrendering just one run on four hits in 7.0 innings of work.

Troy Krider and Alan Cattrysse each hit 2-for-4 from the plate for the Spartans. Purdue out-hit MSU, 13-6.