Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue *
Wildcats Lose Series Opener 11-3 to Purdue
5/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue scored seven runs in the eighth inning to win Friday's series opener 11-3 at Lambert Field in West Lafayette, Ind. The Wildcats stranded seven runners in the first four innings, falling to 23-30 overall, 19-10 in the Big Ten. Pat McMahon drove in two runs late in the game while Antonio Mule had a pair of hits and an RBI. NU used five pitchers in the game, four in the eighth inning alone.
Purdue went ahead 1-0 with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning. Two Wildcat errors, including a failed pick-off attempt by Wildcat starter Ryan Myers (Lake Villa, Ill./Carmel). With runners on first and third and two outs, the Boilermaker on first broke for second and on the throw down to second, the runner on third broke for home. That runner from third scored before the third out was applied to give PU the 1-0 lead.
After Northwestern squandered another scoring chance in the top of the fourth inning, Purdue took a 2-0 lead on an RBI fielder's choice groundball. The Boilers had three singles in the inning.
In the fourth, NU left runners on first and third for the third time in the first four innings after a strikeout and a groundball ended the threat. NU scattered six hits in the first four innings.
Purdue went up 3-0 on a solo home run by third baseman John Hunter.
In a bizarre seventh inning, Purdue scored a single run on a controversial play at home plate. With Boilermaker runners on first and third, a groundball to third base was thrown to second. After tagging second base, Jake Owens (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) fired the ball home and as catcher Geoff Dietz (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) went to catch the ball, the Purdue runner barreled into Dietz without sliding. The umpires ruled the run counted, but Jordan Comadena was ejected from the contest.
The score after seven complete innings was 4-0 Purdue.
After the Wildcats stranded its 10th runner of the game in the eighth inning, Purdue exploded for seven runs off four different Wildcat pitchers. PU tallied four hits in the inning was helped by two hit-by-pitches and a walk. A Wildcat error also took place in the inning.
NU mounted a small rally in the top of the ninth inning, scoring three runs on three hits. Right fielder Antonio Mule (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to left field and first baseman Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel) followed with a two-RBI double. Mule was 2-for-3 with an RBI and McMahon was 3-for-5 in the contest. Owens and shortstop Tommy Finn (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean) each recorded two hits.
The Wildcats await the outcome of the Iowa at Michigan game played at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. The game started at 6:35 p.m. (ET).
NU and Purdue are back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Games will be played at Lambert Field in West Lafayette, Ind.
