IU @ Purdue, Game 1: IU gift-wraps a win for Purdue, 7-4...

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LHP Brandon Keyster is on the mound for IU with an ERA of 5.17 in 5.17 IP and a WHIP of 0.89 with an OBA of .196. IU welcomes Tibbitts back to the lineup and he will be at 1B while batting 7th. Don't look for him to be behind the plate again this season given the injury he had. Former Boiler Stadler will be behind the plate. Brenczewski will be the DH today. It will be Taylor, Pyne and Mitchell at the top of the order with Cerny, Brenczewski, and Stadler in the middle of the order, and Tibbitts, Mathison and Oliver at the bottom of the order.

LHP Jordan Morales is on the mound for PU with an ERA of 4.50 in 62.0 IP and a WHIP of 1.45 with an OBA of .295. The Boiler batting order has two lefties leading off with the rest of the order being righties. Redshirt freshman Luke Gaffney who is hitting .412 on the season and plays 1B, is not in the lineup so he must be dealing with an issue. He has been the B1G Freshman of the Week five times so far this season.

It's 74 degrees and mostly sunny with the wind out of the N at 13 mph and no gusts to speak of and it's blowing in from left center.

1st inning:

T1st:

Taylor led off and he Kd on a full count. Pyne doubled off the wall in RF to put a runner in scoring position with one out.

Mitchell Kd looking on a 2-2 count for the 2nd out. Cerny reached on an infield hit to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Brenczewski singled to drive in Pyne and the Boilers trail for the first time in eight games. There are runners at the corners with two outs and Stadler up.

Cerny was caught trying to steal home to retire the side.

B1st:

Keyster walked the leadoff hitter on a 3-1 count. On a grounder fielded by Keyster, his throw was off at 1B for an error and PU had two runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs.

A two-run double gave the Boilers the lead at 2-1 with a runner in scoring position and no outs and the walk and error cost IU two runs with one run unearned.

A flyout got the first out with the runner holding at 2nd.

With a 1-2 count on the next batter, IU went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Drew Buhr with an ERA of 3.67 in 27.0 IP and a WHIP of 1.30.

Yet another error, this time on Pyne a 3rd cost IU what should be an easy out and the ball got through Pyne allowing the runner on 2nd to take 3rd.

A DP ended the inning which included two errors by IU and an unearned run given up to go along with an earned run in a very sloppy inning by IU.

End of 1st: PU 2 IU 1

 

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2nd inning:

T2nd:

Stadler Kd on three pitches. Tibbitts flied out on a well hit ball to center for the 2nd out. Mathison flied out and IU went down in order.

B2nd:

It's the bottom of the order up for the Boilers. The leadoff hitter reached on a single. Purdue played small ball with the next batter bunting to move the runner to 2nd with one out.

A groundout got the 2nd out with the runner holding at 2nd and Purdue was back to the top of the order.

Buhr got a K to end the inning.

End of 2nd: PU 2 IU 1

 

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3rd inning:

T3rd:

It was the 9 thru 2 hitters up for IU with Oliver leading off. Oliver flied out and IU was getting some hard hit, high fly balls that are getting held up by the wind blowing in.

IU was back at the top of the order with one out and Taylor up. Taylor flied out for the 2nd out.

With two outs, Pyne doubled for the second time in the game to put a runner in scoring position and Mitchell up. Mitchell Kd for the 2nd time in the game to retire the side leaving a runner at 2nd.

B3rd:

Buhr faced the 2 thru 4 hitters. Buhr got the leadoff hitter on a K. A groundout got the 2nd out. Another groundout ended the inning as Buhr put them down in order.

End of 3rd: PU 2 IU 1

 

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4th inning:

T4th:

It was the middle of the order up with Cerny leading off. Cerny popped out to shallow RF for the first out.

A foul out to RF got the 2nd out. A groundout retired the side in order.

B4nd:

It was the 5 thru 7 hitters up for the Boilers. A deep fly ball to the warning track was grabbed by Taylor for the first out. The next batter reached on a single.

Another base hit put runners on 1st and 2nd and one out. A flyout got the 2nd out with the runners holding.

A single sent the runners moving and the lead runner was thrown out at the plate by Mathison. The umps reviewed the play to see if Stadler was blocking the plate. The call of out at the plate was upheld and it ended the inning with no damage done.

End of 4th: PU 2 IU 1

 

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5th inning:

T5th:

It was the bottom of the order up and Tibbitts grounded out to lead off. Mathison lined out to SS for the 2nd out. Oliver Kd looking as IU went down in order for the 2nd straight inning.

B5th:

Buhr faced the top of the order. The leadoff hitter reached on a single. He was thrown out by Stadler attempting to steal 2nd. Buhr got the next batter on a K swinging for the 2nd out. Cerny made a great play on a diving grab of a liner to end the inning.

End of 5th: PU 2 IU 1

 

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6th inning:

T6th:

It's the top of the order up with Taylor leading off with Purdue's starting pitcher still on the mound.

Taylor reached on a single to RF and it was the first time in the game that IU has had their leadoff hitter on.

Pyne flied out for the 1st out. Mitchell lined out with Taylor just barely getting back to 1B and there were two outs.

Taylor moved to 2nd on a WP. A double by Cerny tied the game with Taylor scoring.

With the hot hitting Brenczewski up, the Boilers went to the bullpen and brought in RHP Avery Cook with an ERA of 3.33 in 27.0 IP and a WHIP of 1.30.

Brenczewski lined out to 3rd to retire the side.

B6th:

IU brought in RHP Brayden Risedorph with an ERA of 7.71 in 35 IP and a WHIP of 1.60 and he faced the middle of the order.

A hard-hit fly was caught by Taylor in LF for the first out. A pinch hitter for the Boiler DH singled to put a runner on with one out.

Risedorph got a K swinging for the 2nd out and the runner still at 1st.

A flyout end the inning.

End of 6th: IU 2 PU 2

 

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7th inning:

T7th:

It was the 6 thru 8 hitters up with Stadler leading off. Stadler hit a shot that was thought to be possibly out but it died on the warning track for the 1st out and Tibbitts also flied out for the 2nd out. A K retired the side with IU going down in order.

B7th:

It was the 8 thru 1 hitters up with Purdue pinch hitting for the No. 8 spot. Risedorph walked the leadoff hitter on a full count. A slow grounder sent the runner to 2nd with one out and it was the top of the order up for the Boilers.

Risedorph walked another batter on four pitches to put runners on 1st and 2nd and one out.

A DP was thought to have ended the inning with Purdue challenging the play on a close play at 1st. The umps reversed the call at 1st which put runners on the corners with two outs. The runner on first stole 2nd.

A base hit up the middle with no one there scored two runs to give Purdue a 4-2 lead. Three of Purdue's runs today have been scored by walks.

A groundout ended the inning.

End of 7th: PU 4 IU 2

 

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8th inning:

T8th:

It was the 9 thru 2 hitters up with Sefcik pinch hitting for Oliver. Sefcik flied out for the first out.

Taylor hit a solo homer to left center to make it 4-3, and one of many fly balls by IU today finally left the park.

Purdue went to the bullpen to bring in RHP Aaron Suval with an ERA of 4.70 in 30.2 IP and a WHIP of 1.57. He faced Pyne with one out and no one on.

Pyne walked on a full count with Mitchell up and one out. Mitchell, who has been hard to strikeout this season, had his third K of the game for two outs and Pyne still at 1st.

Cerny lined out to LF to retire the side.

B8th:

Burckel came in for Oliver at 2nd with Risedorph facing the 5 and 7 hitters. The leadoff hitter reached on a single.

The runner stole 2nd with no outs. Risedorph got a big K for the first out.

Purdue was wanting a catcher interference review on the next batter on a foul ball and the count at 2-2 on the batter. Purdue won their 2nd straight review of the three they have had with the batter given 1st on the interference call and runners on 1st and 2nd and one out.

Burckel who just went into the game had a perfect DP ball hit to him and he airmailed the throw to Cerny which went into LF with an unearned run scored on the error, IU's third error of the game.

With runners on 1st and 2nd and one out. Risedorph should have been out of the inning, but the error ended up doing the job with RHP Julian Tonghini coming in with an ERA of 4.88 in 24.0 IP and a WHIP of 1.67.

A lackadaisical play by Tonghini on a bunt allowed the batter to reach 1st with the throw by Tonghini late.

Tonghini then threw a WP that was a swinging strike to score another run to make it 6-3 Purdue and this inning was another Keystone Cop inning for IU.

Tonghini then walked the next batter on a 3-1. He was able to get a K for the 2nd out with the bases still loaded.

Tonghini then walked in another run on a 3-2 count to make it 7-3 and Purdue had done almost nothing to get all of their runs so far.

An awful inning finally ended on a groundout.

End of 8th: PU 7 IU 3

 

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9th inning:

T9th:

It was the 5 thru 7 hitters up with Brenczewski up and he walked on a full count.

Stadler lined out to RF for the first out and Stadler had two hard hit liners today that went straight to the outfielders.

Tibbitts got a single to put runners on corners with one out and it was his first hit since returning to the lineup.

Mathison smashed a ball to the right center warning track that died there with Brenczewski scoring on a SAC fly for two outs. Tibbitts ended the game by being called out on an attempted steal at 2nd.

Final: Purdue 7 IU 4

 

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Purdue took over the top spot in the B1G race all by themselves with Illinois losing and all they had to do was let IU do the heavy lifting for them in putting them at the top. What a pathetic game for IU with the number of errors committed equal to the number of runs they scored. It seemed like everything fell the Boilers way from the ridiculous play of IU in a couple of innings to having the umps reversing calls that were crucial in their win. Only four of Purdue's seven runs were earned. For a team needing to play well in the stretch run, this was no way to start a series.

IU had 4 errors to none of the Boilers.

IU was 8 for 32 for a team percentage of .250 while Purdue was 10 for 32 for .313.

Pyne had a couple of doubles in going 2 of 4 at the plate. Cerny and Taylor also had two hits and each had an RBI with Taylor hitting the game's only homer. Brenczewski and Mathison also had one RBI.


The 1st inning started off with two errors being committed in it with a leadoff walk and a runner reaching on an error both scoring to give Purdue an early 2-1 lead.

IU looked to be out of the inning in the 7th on a double play, but the call at first was reversed on review which put runners on the corners and the runner at 1st stealing 2nd, and a base hit scored two runs to break a 2-2 tie.

The 8th was a real joke with the following happening and things were so screwed up in the inning that I even screwed up the narrative of the inning and had to make corrections to it. The following happened in the 8th with Purdue up:

A single.

After a K for the first out, a catcher interference call put another runner on with two on the bases.

A perfect DP ball went to Burckel who airmailed the short throw to Cerny at 2nd with the ball going into LF with a run scoring.

Tonghini came in for Risedorph and he was slow to react to a bunt with runner reaching to load the bases with an out.

Tonghini threw a WP that the batter swung at which brought in a run.

Tonghini then walked another batter to load the bases again.

A K got the 2nd out.

Tonghini walked another batter to score another run which would be their last run scored.


Unfortunately, all of shoddy play that occurred in this game overshadowed a great pitching effort by Buhr who went 4.2 scoreless innings to keep IU in it. Here are the pitching numbers with Purdue having just one extra base hit which occurred in the 1st.

Keyster - 0.1 IP, 1 hit with a double and 1 earned run with another unearned run also scored, no Ks, and a BB.

Buhr - 4.2 IP, 5 hits and no earned runs, 3 Ks, and no BBs with the rest of his slate clean.

Risedorph - 2.1 IP, 3 hits with 3 earned runs, 2 Ks, and 2 BBs. Errors impacted Risedorph numbers.

Tonghini - 0.2 IP, 1 hit and no earned runs, a K, 2 BBs, and a WP. Tonghini contributed to Risedorph's earned runs with a less than stellar performance.

 

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Here are the other scores from around the B1G:

Neb 10 Minn 7

MSU 3 Michigan 2

Maryland 4 Rutgers 3

OSU 7 Illinois 5 - The Illlini surrendered first place to the Boilers.

Iowa 4 NW 3 - The Hawkeyes trailed 3-1 going into the 8th, but scored three runs at the bottom of the inning.

PSU 7 Georgetown 2

 

[Orford]

I counted 4 hard hit balls straight to a pu player. One or two required some movement but those get through who knows. Of course we gifted 4 errors with the worst from a defensive replacement at 2b