WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Chants of “IU'' rang out at Alexander Field over the weekend after Indiana won its fifth conference series in a row after defeating Purdue in two of three matchups. On Friday they fell 7-4 before picking things back up on Saturday and winning 10-2 then taking the series Sunday 5-4 in a rubber match. It gained traction as an important series in the Big Ten conference before the weekend started and both teams delivered over the three days.
Friday night errors hurt Indiana
With things kicking off on Friday night it was Indiana's errors that hurt the team the most. In the three-run Hoosier loss, three of Purdue’s runs were unearned.
Joey Brenczewski was able to start a lead early for Indiana in the first inning, a single that scored a run. However, Purdue's Connor Caskenette did not let the lead stand and hit a two-run double off of a pitch from Indiana's Brandon Keyster. Committing two errors early in the game hurt Indiana quickly and was not what the Hoosiers needed.
Attempting to rebound from the undesirable start, Drew Buhr would work through a total of 4.2 innings and help keep Purdue bats quiet for a while, but Indiana's offense struggled just as much against Purdue's staff. Things started to roll in the sixth inning after Tyler Cerny's double down the right field line tied up the game. In inning seven, Caskenette pushed Purdue back into the lead once again with a two-run single.
Even with Devin Taylor’s home run in the eighth inning, the Boilermakers would make the game theirs and insure more of a lead. This is when the errors really came in to really hurt Indiana and things seemingly slipped away. Purdue scored two of the three runs unearned in the eighth inning from a throwing error and wild pitches.
Sharpening up the defense is something that Indiana has been improving upon all season in making sure that they can give their pitching staff reliable support on the mound and avoid moments like what happened in the eighth inning. But games get away and things happen.
Tibbitts got caught stealing second on the third out of the ninth inning and Purdue closed the door 7- 4 handing Indiana a series opening loss.
Saturday pitching duo proves tough matchup for Purdue
Indiana entered Saturday with the choice to keep fighting or let Purdue take the series. Indiana, led by Connor Foley on the mound to start, chose the fight.
Foley, who had some time off for injury, was reintroduced back into the lineup and gave a performance that lasted four innings. He allowed just one earned run before passing things over to Ty Bothwell. The duo worked all nine innings together totaling two runs; the second was unearned.
They added to Indiana's 6-0 record on Saturdays in the Big Ten conference this year and were able to give a fighting boost that was needed on Saturday. Indiana’s offensense was mute through six innings before exploding in a seven-hit, six-run seventh inning. While Purdue pitching seemed to get caught in a bind, Hoosiers took the opportunity. Brenczewski hit a single that brought Josh Pyne across home plate for the first run. Tibbitts followed to bring in another run before Carter Mathison stepped up and slammed a three-run home run that gave Indiana a four-run lead. Jasen Oliver's double before the end of the inning struck another run to the growing lead and the Hoosiers would come out of it 6-1 over the Boilermakers.
Final inning insurance came as Indiana tacked on four more to the score, shutting down Purdue 10-2 and setting Sunday up for a rubber match.
Victory Sunday in a ninth-inning comeback
In arguably one of Indiana's most important games of the season, the stage was set. Alexander Field was filled to capacity with fans in anticipation of the matchup.
Things started off fast for Purdue. They got a lead early in the first inning and held it through nine innings of play, adding onto it little by little. Defensively they were giving Indiana a hard time, the attack was there and hits for Indiana that would’ve probably played in any other game of baseball was being met by Purdue.
Multiple of Taylor’s hard-hit balls that came off the bat at 105+ mph were easy catches in the outfield and for eight innings straight, the game was Purdues. Come the ninth inning, Indiana found themselves in a very interesting spot and fortunately they were able to play the cards right.
Down three runs, bases loaded with only one out, head coach Jeff Mercer elected Andrew Wiggins to pinch hit — a decision Mercer said to the media he was confident in. Purdue walked Wiggins, which forced a run in. A single from Taylor scored another run.
Nick Mitchell walked to tie up the game and a fielding error from Purdue cost them the lead. Fans in anticipation were on the edge of their seats with the game on the line. All eyes turned to Jacob Vogel and Indiana’s defense in the bottom of the inning.
Under pressure, Purdue cracked and went down 1-2-3 in a series final to remember. Indiana, for the first time since 2002, just took the series on the road against their rival.
Players ran to celebrate with teammates as Gatorade showered over their coaches. Chants erupted from fans wearing the cream and crimson in West Lafayette. The moment was nothing but bliss and celebration.
Playing some of its best baseball so far, Indiana sent Purdue packing with a series clinching win, a 5-4 victory in West Lafayette.
Tibbitts gave insight on how they all pulled together with resilience to win the game.
“There's not just one guy that’s going to beat another team, it took all of us today,” Tibbits said.
For Indiana that's what shined through.
A part of the Hoosier crowd on Sunday was Vogel’s family. Getting to play in front of them in a game like this made the win more than special for the pitcher.
“Growing up in Indiana, I was an Indiana fan,” Vogel said. “So just to do this in front of Purdue makes it that much better…sweeter.”
Mercer postgame spoke on the battle it was to get through Sunday. His players were sticking to the plan and executing it, but things got hard and he had to just keep coaching through the process.
Mercer said it was just another series and just another game, but he made sure to give his team approval.
“I could not be more proud of the way that we just played baseball,” Mercer said.
Indiana’s record this season now advances to 27-19-1, 12-6 in conference play. It’s becoming a race for the conference title as postseason sits on the horizon. Now between Nebraska, Purdue and Indiana there is a three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten. Which makes things interesting but exciting for followers of college baseball and these programs.
Tuesday's midweek tilt brings Cincinnati (27-21) to Indiana's home of Bart Kaufman Field before Indiana travels to Nebraska (30-16, 12-6).
