Purdue Baseball Drops Series Finale Against Minnesota 9-8
After taking three games in a row against Minnesota, Purdue baseball lost the final matchup of a four-game series in walk-off fashion.
The Boilermakers overcame two different two-run deficits, but the Golden Gophers recorded four singles and three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 9-8 victory on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Purdue, now 14-25 on the season, registered 10 or more hits in all four games of the series. The Boilermakers did not record a hit in the sixth inning while managing to score four runs.
On the shoulders of five walks, a batter hit by a pitch and a sacrifice fly game Purdue its seventh inning of three or more runs in the series. The four-run frame gave the Boilermakers an 8-6 lead before two scoreless innings.
With a two-run lead in the ninth inning, Purdue hadn't allowed a hit since Minnesota senior Ronald Sweeny hammered a three-run home run in the sixth inning.
After registering a quick out by catching redshirt senior Jack Wassel between second and third, the Boilermakers gave up three straight singles, which tied the game 8-8.
With just one out on the board, Purdue junior pitcher Ricky Castro hit a Minnesota batter with a pitch, advancing the game-winning run to third base. The Golden Gophers scored in a walk-off win after a wild pitch.
Despite overcoming deficits of 2-0 and 6-4, Purdue's walk-off loss was the program's first since March 2020 against North Carolina. The neutral-site game was also played in Minneapolis.
Purdue's final games of the season will take place between May 27 and May 30 as part of a three-team pod with Minnesota and Penn State at Alexander Field in West Lafayette.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.
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