April 11, 2008
West Lafayette, Ind. - Penn State built an 8-5 lead over Purdue after seven innings on the strength of some timely hitting and another decent performance by starting pitcher Ryan Stobart but the Boilermakers scored eight runs in the eighth inning off three different relief pitchers to come away with a 13-8 come-from-behind win in the series opener on Friday afternoon. Joe Blackburn went 4-for-4 and drove in a career high five runs to lead the Nittany Lions.
Stobart turned another solid performance, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing just four earned runs, three of which came on a trio of wind-aided home runs as a brisk and swift wind blew out of left field throughout the game. Stobart also struck out four and walked five but did a good job of limiting damage as he did not give up more than one run in any inning. Penn State knocked out Purdue starter Matt Bischoff after just four plus innings of work as he allowed seven hits and six runs, five earned while walking four and striking out five. However, the Purdue bullpen gave up just two runs and three hits for the remainder of the game while the Penn State bullpen gave up eight runs on six hits after Stobart left with two outs in the seventh.
Blackburn also scored two runs in addition to knocking in five, three of those coming on his second home run of the year and he also reached base in all five plate appearances. Landon Nakata went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI and three runs as he reached base in five out of six plate appearances.
The teams traded runs in the first two innings, with each team putting up single runs in both the first and second innings. Penn State got a one-out walk from Nakata followed by back-to-back singles by Rob Yodice and Blackburn to produce one run in the first and then Nakata drew another walk, this time with the bases loaded, to push across another run in the second. Purdue got a leadoff walk by Brandon Haveman in the first and he was then sacrificed to second, went to third on an errant pickoff throw to second and scored on a wild pitch. In the second, Dan Black led off with a home run to left field that was aided by the swift wind blowing across the field from left to right.
After both teams were held scoreless in the third, the wind both hurt and then aided the Nittany Lions as it, along with some good hitting, helped them take a 6-2 lead in the fourth. The inning started with back-to-back walks to Scott Kelley and Wes Borden and after a fielder's choice forced Kelley at third, Nakata bounced a single over the head of the third baseman and into left to drive in Borden with the first run of the inning. Yodice then drilled a ball to deep right that looked like a sure home run but the wind knocked it down and it was caught on the warning track for the second out. Blackburn then hit a ball to center that looked like a routine fly ball but it kept carrying and carried all the way over the fence in center field for a three-run home run, Blackburn's second round-tripper in as many games after going over three years in between home runs.
Landon Nakata scored three runs and reached base five times on Friday. |
Purdue got one run back in its half of the fourth when Jon Moore singled to right with two outs, stole second and then scored on a single up the middle by Jonathan Lilly. The Boilers crept closer with one more run, this one of another wind-aided home run to left, this one by Haveman.
Penn State got both of those runs back to take an 8-4 lead in the sixth. Nakata doubled down the left field line to lead off, went to third on a groundout to first, and scored on Blackburn's single up the middle. Blackburn would then come around all the way from first to score on Cory Wine's single to right center that landed deep in the outfield but did not get behind the outfielders due to the wind, allowing Blackburn to score but keeping Wine to a single. That hit, however, would be the final Penn State hit of the game. The Nits threatened in the seventh as Brian Ernst and Nakata drew one-out walks and both advanced on a grounder to short by Yodice. Purdue then intentionally walked Blackburn to load the bases but Wine struck out and then just missed beating out the throw to first when the third strike bounced in the dirt and went a ways up the third base line.
Another seemingly routine fly ball to left in the sixth by Nick Overmyer turned into a home run, pulling Purdue within three at 8-5. In the seventh, Stobart got the first two outs but also walked two in between getting the outs. Paul Hawkins came on to relieve him and hit Eric Nielsen to load the bases but struck out Moore looking to end the inning and preserve the lead.
The eighth began with a walk to Lilly and then Overmyer doubled down the left field line and that was followed by an RBI double to center by Haveman. Hawkins then got Kyle Reesing to line out to him for the first out, but Hawkins' throw to second to attempt to double off Haveman went into center field, allowing Overmyer to come home to make it 8-7. David Lutz was then summoned from the bullpen to face the left-handed hitting Ryne White and he walked him on four pitches, putting runners at the corners. He then gave up the third double of the inning, this one by Jordan Comadena also down the left field line, scoring Haveman with the tying run. The Lions then elected to intentionally walk Black to load the bases and set up a force at any base for a potential inning-ending double play. John Karr was then brought in to pitch to the right-handed hitting Nielsen and Nielsen took Karr's first offering over the fence in left for a grand slam to give Purdue a 12-8 lead.
Purdue would score one more run in the eighth before the fourth reliever of the inning, Mike Pierce was brought on, and he got the final two outs. Penn State then went down in order in the ninth inning.
Notes: Blackburn's previous career high of four RBI in a game came last year, also against Purdue on May 5....Blackburn also became the first Penn State player to have five RBI in a game since Rick Marlin drove in five at Michigan State on April 16 of last year....Wine recorded five putouts in the game to tie the school record for career putouts with 1193. He will break the record with his first putout tomorrow.