Purdue sends IU to loser's bracket at Big Ten Tourney

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Purdue starter Lance Breedlove (8-5) did not allow a runner to reach third base until the eighth inning. He held Indiana’s offense in check and lead the No. 18 Boilermakers to a 3-0 win Friday in game eight of the Big Ten Tournament.

Purdue (43-12, 17-7) advances to the finals and will await the winner of the Indiana-Michigan State game, 3:35 p.m. Saturday.

“I just went out there and just tried to throw strikes and let my defense to do the work, “ Breedlove said. “I got to give Indiana credit, they were putting some good bat on the ball.”

After allowing hits in the first and second innings, Breedlove shut down the Hoosiers (31-27, 16-8 Big Ten). He recorded 1-2-3 innings in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh. Purdue pitchers did not allow a single Hoosier leadoff batter to reach base. 

“A key for us was we did not allow one of their (IU) leadoff hitters to get on,” Purdue Head Coach Doug Schreiber said. “We got all nine of them out. It was probably the difference in the ball game.”

Runs were at a premium for much of the game, as the Hoosiers and Boilermakers were locked up in a pitchers duel that would determine who advanced to Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament final.

Indiana freshman Kyle Hart (5-5) and Breedlove both pitched scoreless baseball through four innings, allowing just two hits a piece.

Breedlove continued to shut down the Hoosier offense until the eighth inning. With one out, Dustin DeMuth singled to left and advanced to second on a pitch-hit single by Trace Knoblauch, who was then replaced by pinch runner Chris Sujka.

The bases became loaded when Justin Cureton had a hard hit single off the glove of Boiler third baseman Cameron Perkins. The ball squirted to shallow left but was corralled quickly by shortstop David Miller, preventing any runs from scoring.

“That was a great play,” IU Head Coach Tracy Smith said. “Honestly to me that was the play of the game. That ball scoots down the line…Nolden scores and possibly the other guy.”

Schreiber brought in senior lefthander Blake Mascarello to face Kyle Schwarber, who grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Schwarber was called out at first when second base umpire Jim Schaly called interference on Cureton’s slide into second.

“He (Shaley) said he (Cureton) slid inside the bag,” Smith said. “So I guess he slid inside the bag. I like to see things decided between the lines. If he did he did.”

Drama unfolded in the ninth. Mascarello allowed Dillon Dooney and Michael Basil to reach base but got pinch hitter Chad Clark to ground out to second to end the game.

Mascarello earned his third save of the season.

Hart pitched out of trouble in the second inning. Purdue’s Barrett Serrato singled to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Hart then threw a wild pitch that allowed Serrato to take third. Hart battled back, though, striking out the final two batters of the inning and stranding the runner at third.

Redshirt-freshman Will Nolden made a run-saving catch off the bat of Serrato. Purdue junior and the Big Ten Player of the Year Kevin Plawecki led the inning off with a walk. Serrato then drove a ball to deep right that was caught by a leaping Nolden against the wall. Nolden quickly threw to first to get Plawecki before he could get back to first.

“He got a good piece on that ball, honestly I thought it was gone or at least off the wall,” Nolden said. “Fortunately I was able to come down with the grab.”

Hart’s night ended in the fifth after he gave up a walk to Boilermaker senior Andrew Dixon that loaded the bases. Smith brought out side-arm throwing, right-handed Jonny Hoffman from the bullpen.

Hoffman immediately induced a potential double play ball to shortstop Michael Basil, who bobbled the ball and was only able to get the runner at second, allowing Miller to score. With runners on first and third, Perkins hit an RBI single to center for a 2-0 Purdue lead.

Drew Leininger replaced Hoffman in the bottom of the eighth and recorded a ground out of the only batter he faced.

“You make plays when you need to make plays,” Smith said. “We didn’t make plays when we needed to make plays. They did and that consequently was the difference in the baseball game.”

In order for IU to claim the Big Ten Tournament title, they must win three games in a row, including two against Purdue.