IU dropped its fourth Big Ten game in the last five outings after a 7-3 loss Saturday evening at Purdue.
The defeat marked the second time IU junior pitcher Brian Hobbie pitched the entire game and was credited with the loss. Hobbie went all eight innings and allowed eight hits and seven earned runs while walking two and striking out six.
While Friday’s loss occurred because of a Purdue rally in the eighth inning, the biggest inning for the Boilermakers on Saturday was the fourth inning, after they had already tacked two runs on the Hoosiers.
A home run, double and two singles scored four runs for Purdue to push its lead to 6-0 by the end of the fourth inning.
IU immediately responded in the top of the fifth. Sophomore infielder Luke Miller hit a 2-run home run, and senior outfielder Alex Krupa singled to score another run to push the score to 6-3.
IU had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out. Freshman shortstop Jeremy Houston, freshman catcher Jake Matheny and Krupa all reached base, but junior outfielder Logan Sowers and senior outfielder Craig Dedelow popped out to end the inning.
IU's only three runs scored were all plated in the fifth, while Purdue would get one more off of Hobbie in the eighth inning.
Since their season-best 5-game win streak ended against Indiana State on March 29, IU's record is 1-5-1, and its overall record has dropped to 15-12-2.
Though IU has already lost the series in West Lafayette, Indiana, the two teams play one more time at Purdue on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Taylor Lehman
