April 12, 2006
Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
The Purdue Boilermakers were in control of Wednesday's non-conference contest with the Illinois State Redbirds for the first four inning of the game, however the Redbirds battled back to eventually take a lead in the game and stun the Purdue fans. However, Purdue would get the last say as a walk-off home run by Ryne White propelled the Boilermakers (18-9) to a 9-8 non-conference victory over the Redbirds (11-20) on at Lambert Field.
Junior Dan Frega (1-4) suffered the loss for ISU after giving up both of the go-ahead home runs to Purdue. Chris Toneguzzi earned the win for Purdue, even though he gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth.
Purdue took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning on an Eric Wolfe RBI single that scored Mitch Hilligoss from third base to make the score 1-0. Wolfe would strike again in the bottom of the third inning when hit a long triple to deep center field, scoring Hilligoss and Spencer Ingaldson to widen the Boilermakers lead to 3-0 after three innings of play.
The Boilermakers would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 5-0. However, the Redbirds would score four runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Purdue lead to 5-4. Kyle O'Brien led off the inning with a double and Brian Davis's double in the next at bat brought in O'Brien for the first Redbird run of the day. Blake Schoonover was then hit by a pitch and Davis and Schoonover each advance a base on a wild pitch, giving ISU runners on second and third base with no one out.
Kevin Dubler's double to right center field, the third ISU double of the inning off Donato, scored Davis from third base to make the score 5-2. A sacrifice fly by Jay Molina would then bring in Schoonover for the third run of the inning and Matt Bolt's ground out to first base would score Dubler from third base, narrowing the score to 5-4.
A three-run top of the sixth inning allowed the Redbirds to come from behind and take a 7-5 lead over the Boilermakers. A double by O'Brien scored Kris Jenkins from first base after he walked to tie the game at the time at 5-5. Davis followed with a single to right field which brought in O'Brien to give the Redbirds their first lead of the game at 6-5. ISU would add one more run on a double by Dubler, his second of the day, allowing Davis to score from third and pus the lead to 7-5 in favor of the `Birds.
Purdue would get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the sixth inning, however to cut into the ISU lead at 7-6. After a scoreless seventh inning, the Boilermakers would regain the lead at 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run home run by Hilligoss off reliever Dan Frega.
However, the Redbirds would tie the game once again with a run in the top of the ninth. Bolt led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a Ryan Anetsberger double to begin the ISU rally. Jesse Griswold's RBI single then brought in Bolt from third base and knotted the score 8-8.
But, the walk-off home run by White in the bottom of the ninth off Frega won the game for Purdue, 9-8, and ended the Redbirds' momentum. Davis and Dubler each finished with two RBI in the game for ISU, while O'Brien and Griswold each chipped in for two hits. Hilligoss was the star for the Boilermakers, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI.
ISU has an off day on Thursday before returning to action on Friday for the beginning of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference weekend series with Bradley Braves at Redbird Field. Game time for Friday's game is set for 6 p.m., with Saturday's game scheduled for 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale tabbed for a 1 p.m. start.
