Boilermakers shut out Michigan
State 3-0
The Purdue baseball team swept Michigan State 3-0
this weekend. The successful weekend ended with a quality pitching performance
by Purdue's David Gassner in a 4-0 victory Saturday.
Gassner continued his resurgence, pitching his
second consecutive complete game. The complete game shutout is the first
of the season for the Boilermakers, also the first of Gassner's career.
The Boilermakers (10-14, 4-2) had a big third inning,
scoring three runs, with all three coming with two outs. Nate Sickler
hit his third triple of the year to drive in two runs.
Gassner stunned the Spartans in the seventh, striking
out the final batter of the game. Gassner did not allow a base runner
after the third and finished the game with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Saturday's first game started off as a classic
pitcher's dual as Michigan State struck out the first five batters they
faced, and Chadd Blasko struck out three batters in the first two innings
of work. It ended as an extra inning affair, as the Boilermakers had
to even the score after being down one run, as they were down to the
last out of the seventh inning, then grabbed a 5-4 victory with some
heroics in the eighth inning.
The Boilermakers struck first with three runs in
the top half of the fourth, while the Spartans answered with two in
the bottom of the fourth. Michigan State took a 4-3 lead heading into
the top of the seventh. Down to their final out, the Boilermakers tied
the score in the seventh and won the game in the eighth.
With both teams exchanging runs most of the game,
third baseman John Gusich provided the Boilers with some late game heroics.
Harrell led off the eighth with a walk, then Sickler
moved him to second on a bunt. After Luce flied out to right field,
Gusich came through as the game's hero, driving in his fourth run of
the day on a rifling single to centerfield.
On Friday, Ben Quick put together a solid pitching
performance, and had 13 hits in a 7-2 win.
Quick pitched 7.1 innings, his strongest outing
since an eight-inning, one run effort against Troy State on March 2.
Against Michigan State, he gave up just three hits and allowed one earned
run. Three of his strikeouts were two-strike pitches on the final out
of the inning. Offensive stars for the Boilermakers included Nate Sickler,
who was 3-for-3 with three doubles.
Nick McIntyre extended his hit streak to seven
games with a base hit in the third inning, then hustled to second base
on a throwing error by the centerfielder.
Sunday's 1 p.m. game was postponed due to snow
conditions in East Lansing. Last Sunday, the Boilermakers' game with
Minnesota was canceled due to inclement weather in West Lafayette.
|
