Hoosiers Fall Late to Purdue, 4-2
4/6/2018 8:12:00 PM | Baseball
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Purdue snuck out with the victory at Bart Kaufman Field on Friday evening.
A pair of unearned runs in the ninth were the difference in Purdue's 4-2 win, snapping No. 10-ranked IU's nine-game home winning streak on what turned into a chilly Friday afternoon.
"That's two years in a row on Friday night," IU Coach Lemonis said, referencing last year's series against Purdue in West Lafayette. "I feel like we played close to the same game.
"They outplayed us. Outplayed us and deserved to win."
There was certainly nothing cheap about Purdue's first two runs, with Jacson McGowan mashing a no-doubter two-run homer to right in the fourth.
Otherwise, IU starter Jonathan Stiever was very strong through eight innings, walking just one and fanning seven.
And Purdue counterpart Tanner Andrews, who entered with a 1.99 ERA, was every bit as stingy through six. Andrews walked four but allowed just two Hoosier hits.
IU still managed to manufacture single runs in the third and the fifth.
Scotty Bradley blistered a double down the left field line to lead off the IU third for the Hoosiers' first hit. Cole Barr then sacrificed Bradley to third, from which he scored on Justin Walker's ground out. Walker did a good job of getting bat on ball with two strikes and his high-hopper scored Bradley easily.
After McGowan's ninth homer of the season gave Purdue its first lead, Indiana equalized via some bold Matt Gorski base-running in the bottom of the fifth.
Gorski and Bradley worked walks to lead off the inning, then advanced on Cole Barr's sacrifice bunt. After Walker's looper over second was snagged by Tyler Powers, Gorski drew a throw and basically stole home.
"I was surprised," Lemonis admitted about Gorski's gambit. "I wasn't happy until the umpire said safe, either. He's an exciting player and he does a lot of good things. Matt Gorski is a really good player."
Andrews escaped further damage when he got a borderline called third strike against Luke Miller with the bases loaded.
IU (20-6 overall, 1-2 in Big Ten play) threatened again in the eighth. Logan Sowers worked a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second, but Purdue reliever Ross Learnard then induced a pair of pop-outs.
By that time Stiever's day was done after 105 pitches thrown, 78 for strikes, and Cal Krueger came on to pitch the ninth.
Krueger pitched himself into trouble. He had an 0-2 count, then threw four straight balls for a one-out walk Evan Walden. Then, after fanning Charlie Nasuti on a 3-2 borderline called strike, Krueger hit pinch-hitter Bryce Bonner, bringing up the top of the Purdue order.
Evan Shipley worked a walk to load the bases, then Styler Hunter hit a sharp grounder to short that Walker tried unsuccessfully to short-hop. Running all the way with two outs, Walden and Bonner both scored.
It was IU's lone error of the game, and Walker had played superbly at short until then.
"He's such a good shortstop," Lemonis said of Walker, a freshman from Lafayette Jeff playing against his hometown school. "He made a couple great plays. It's an error. I grabbed him after the game and (said) just be ready to go tomorrow.
"He's really talented. I know he feels it more than anybody."
???????Lemonis had similar sentiments regarding Krueger, the sophomore from Jasper who entered Friday with a 1.56 ERA and a 6-1 record.
"He's one of the better closers out there," Lemonis said of Krueger. "I don't know what got into him today. Maybe just a little excited.
"Cal's been our rock. He's been one of the keys to our team all year. To lose it there for a couple hitters is not normal for Cal. I expect he'll be right back out there this weekend and pitch well."
Purdue (15-10, 4-0) is slated to send Gareth Stroh (4-0, 3.12) to the mound for today's 2:05 p.m. game against IU's Pauly Milto (4-2, 2.25).
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Purdue snuck out with the victory at Bart Kaufman Field on Friday evening.
A pair of unearned runs in the ninth were the difference in Purdue's 4-2 win, snapping No. 10-ranked IU's nine-game home winning streak on what turned into a chilly Friday afternoon.
"That's two years in a row on Friday night," IU Coach Lemonis said, referencing last year's series against Purdue in West Lafayette. "I feel like we played close to the same game.
"They outplayed us. Outplayed us and deserved to win."
There was certainly nothing cheap about Purdue's first two runs, with Jacson McGowan mashing a no-doubter two-run homer to right in the fourth.
Otherwise, IU starter Jonathan Stiever was very strong through eight innings, walking just one and fanning seven.
And Purdue counterpart Tanner Andrews, who entered with a 1.99 ERA, was every bit as stingy through six. Andrews walked four but allowed just two Hoosier hits.
IU still managed to manufacture single runs in the third and the fifth.
Scotty Bradley blistered a double down the left field line to lead off the IU third for the Hoosiers' first hit. Cole Barr then sacrificed Bradley to third, from which he scored on Justin Walker's ground out. Walker did a good job of getting bat on ball with two strikes and his high-hopper scored Bradley easily.
After McGowan's ninth homer of the season gave Purdue its first lead, Indiana equalized via some bold Matt Gorski base-running in the bottom of the fifth.
Gorski and Bradley worked walks to lead off the inning, then advanced on Cole Barr's sacrifice bunt. After Walker's looper over second was snagged by Tyler Powers, Gorski drew a throw and basically stole home.
"I was surprised," Lemonis admitted about Gorski's gambit. "I wasn't happy until the umpire said safe, either. He's an exciting player and he does a lot of good things. Matt Gorski is a really good player."
Andrews escaped further damage when he got a borderline called third strike against Luke Miller with the bases loaded.
IU (20-6 overall, 1-2 in Big Ten play) threatened again in the eighth. Logan Sowers worked a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second, but Purdue reliever Ross Learnard then induced a pair of pop-outs.
By that time Stiever's day was done after 105 pitches thrown, 78 for strikes, and Cal Krueger came on to pitch the ninth.
Krueger pitched himself into trouble. He had an 0-2 count, then threw four straight balls for a one-out walk Evan Walden. Then, after fanning Charlie Nasuti on a 3-2 borderline called strike, Krueger hit pinch-hitter Bryce Bonner, bringing up the top of the Purdue order.
Evan Shipley worked a walk to load the bases, then Styler Hunter hit a sharp grounder to short that Walker tried unsuccessfully to short-hop. Running all the way with two outs, Walden and Bonner both scored.
It was IU's lone error of the game, and Walker had played superbly at short until then.
"He's such a good shortstop," Lemonis said of Walker, a freshman from Lafayette Jeff playing against his hometown school. "He made a couple great plays. It's an error. I grabbed him after the game and (said) just be ready to go tomorrow.
"He's really talented. I know he feels it more than anybody."
???????Lemonis had similar sentiments regarding Krueger, the sophomore from Jasper who entered Friday with a 1.56 ERA and a 6-1 record.
"He's one of the better closers out there," Lemonis said of Krueger. "I don't know what got into him today. Maybe just a little excited.
"Cal's been our rock. He's been one of the keys to our team all year. To lose it there for a couple hitters is not normal for Cal. I expect he'll be right back out there this weekend and pitch well."
Purdue (15-10, 4-0) is slated to send Gareth Stroh (4-0, 3.12) to the mound for today's 2:05 p.m. game against IU's Pauly Milto (4-2, 2.25).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: LEARNARD, Ross (1-1)
L: Krueger, Cal (6-2)
Batting:
2B: OLUND, Alec 1
HR: McGOWAN, Jacson 1
RBI: McGOWAN, Jacson 2
SH: BEAM, Milo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HUNTER, Skyler 1 ; McGOWAN, Jacson 1 ; WARDEN, Evan 1 ; EVARTS, Nick 1
HBP: BONNER, Bryce 1

Batting:
2B: Miller, Luke 1 ; Bradley, Scotty 1
RBI: Walker, Justin 2
SH: Fineman , Ryan 1 ; Barr, Cole 2
SF: Walker, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gorski, Matt 1 ; Bradley, Scotty 1
SB: Gorski, Matt 1
HBP: Bradley, Scotty 1
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