Purdue 7, Indiana 4: Boilers Take Game 1

On Friday night Purdue remained red hot in the Big Ten, and as a result, it is still in first place. Catcher Connor Caskenette continued his hot streak at the plate by driving in five runs as Purdue scored five runs in the last two innings to earned a series opening win over rival Indiana 7-4.

Jordan Morales went 5 2/3 innings and gave up just two runs to keep Purdue in it. Avery Cook then got the win with an inning and 2/3 of work before Aaron Suval got his second save of the season.

Indiana got on the board first with a two-out RBI single from Joey Brenczewski in the top of the first. The lead was shortlived, however, as Mike Bolton Jr. walked and Camden Gasser reached on an error before Caskenette brought them both home on a two-run double to left.

The score stayed 2-1 through five innings before Indiana tied it on a double from Tyler Cerny in the sixth that chased Morales from the mound. Cook got out of the jam, however, with a line drive out by Brenczewski.

Caskenette came through again in the seventh with runners at second and third with two outs. He laced a single up the middle to score Gasser and Ty Gill to make it 4-2. The Hoosiers got a run back in the top of the eighth on a solo home run from Devin Taylor, but poor fielding again helped Purdue in the bottom of the inning.

Logan Sutter led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Corbin Mallott stole second for him. After a strikeout Breck Nowik reached on catcher's interference, then Gill reached on a fielder's choice where a throwing error allowed Mallott to score. Nowik would score on a wild pitch and Caskenette would pick up his fifth RBI with a bases loaded two out walk.

Those three insurances runs came in handy, as Indiana did get a run on a sac fly in the ninth, but couldn't manage anything more.

Purdue was the beneficiary of four Indiana errors on the night, and Purdue got three runs as a direct result of those errors. The catcher's intereference call and a wild pitch in the 8th were also huge.

The win moves Purdue two games ahead of Indiana in the Big Ten standings, and Purdue gained a game on Michigan as well since the Wolverines lost to Michigan State 3-2 in 10 innings. Nebraska stayed a game behind Purdue with a 10-7 win over Minnesota, while Illinois lost to Ohio State 7-5, so Purdue moved a game ahead of the Illini and the Boielrs are now in first place all alone.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon at 2pm at Alexander Field. Purdue will get B1G Player of the Year candidate Luke Gaffney back from his three-game suspension, while the five RBI from Caskenette moves him into first place in the league in that category with 65.

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