Another dramatic comeback: Purdue baseball ambushes Indiana with ninth-inning rally
Down 4-0 heading into their last at-bat, the Boilermakers pieced together a five-run rally, capped by Brandon Rogers' three-run double, to overtake Indiana. Purdue looks for the sweep on Sunday
What will the Boilermakers do for an encore?
The first two acts of this three-game series against Indiana have tested the mental toughness, challenged the resolve, and kept the belief that nothing is over until the 27th out is recorded.
But in this case, Purdue never reached the 27th out. That was good news.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, coach Greg Goff’s team added another spell-binding chapter to this storybook-type of season, scoring five times in the bottom of the ninth to shock rival Indiana 5-4 at Alexander Field.
The last-bat heroics came one day after the Boilermakers stormed back from 8-0 and 9-2 deficits - the largest comeback in Alexander Field history - scoring nine unanswered runs to take the series opener.
It’s been a remarkable two days for this program, as it continues to showcase the conviction and trust they have in each other and reinforce the bond they’ve created from Day 1.
Again, what will Sunday bring?
“Hope that it’s a little easier, more than it was today,” said Goff, sitting in the dugout shortly after the thrill-a-minute final inning and the eventual walk-off winner that had a crowd of nearly 2,000 still buzzing.
The Boilermakers will look to sweep Indiana on Sunday (1 p.m.) and possibly sneak into the top four in the Big Ten standings, depending on how Oregon fares against No. 1 UCLA, which has already clinched the regular-season title. Another victory likely inches Purdue closer to an NCAA tournament berth.
BOX SCORE: Purdue 5, Indiana 4
One of Friday’s heroes - outfielder Brandon Rogers - returned for a curtain call late Saturday afternoon.
Still on the mend from a broken left hand that sidelined the senior for 35 days, Rogers perfectly executed a two-strike approach against left-handed reliever Anthony Gubitosi and cleared the bases with a three-run double down the right field line.
As Goff feverishly waved CJ Richmond, Weston Boyle, and pinch-hitter Trey Swiderski from the third base coaching box, their teammates spilled out of the dugout, igniting a celebration that will be near the beginning of the season’s highlight video.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” catcher Jackson Bessette said. “I mean, I think it’s crazy. That’s the best way to describe it.”
ANATOMY OF THE NINTH
The only place to begin is at the end.
Similar to Friday, the offense was nearly dormant as the game moved to the later innings. Purdue managed one extra base hit among its first five on Saturday, and the carryover from the come-from-behind victory the night before evaporated with each zero on the scoreboard through the first eight innings.
“I think the best way to put it - we play baseball, we understand each situation,” Bessette said. “Being down four in the bottom of the ninth is a tough situation to be in. You've got to put things together. There’s a lot that needs to happen before (Brandon) can get that big hit.”
Here’s how it unfolded:
Avery Moore starts the inning with a single to left, the first time the lead-off man reached safely.
IU reliever Reagan Rivera strikes out Aaron Manias.
Bessette walks.
Richmond singled to center, advancing Moore to third and Bessette to second.
Boyle walks, bringing in the team’s first run, and Purdue avoids its first shutout of the season.
Gubitosi replaces Rivera.
Zach Zychowski’s sacrifice fly scores Bessette, cutting the margin to 4-2.
Swiderski, pinch-hitting for Eli Anderson, walks on four straight pitches.
“Coach (Barrett) Serrato does a great job - ‘Hey man, let’s get some guys on,” Goff said. “We call it rally baseball. Let’s rally. Get guys on base, really work the counts. We hadn’t scored a run for eight innings, but our guys just continue to believe. Once Avery got on, everybody was like, ‘Here we go.’ ”
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It took seven batters and four 3-2 counts to set the stage for Rogers, who made his first plate appearance since April 3 on Friday night and delivered the game-tying two-run single in the bottom of the eighth.
On Saturday, Rogers produced the biggest hit of the season, given the situation, guiding a 1-2 pitch into no-man’s land, well out of the reach of right fielder Hogan Denny.
The Hoosiers didn’t stand a chance of preventing three runs from scoring. Rogers could not have rolled the ball into a more perfect location.
“We had some seriously clutch hitting. Major credit to those guys,” Bessette said. “That’s a really hard situation to be in. They’re so mature, and they handled it perfectly. They did the job, and that’s all we can ask.
“Brandon was just unbelievable. That’s the most clutch hit I’ve ever seen, especially only having four at-bats at that point (coming off the injury). Let’s talk about a guy being ready to go.”
“GOD, LET A MIRACLE HAPPEN AGAIN”
In the aftermath, Rogers is signing autographs, taking pictures with youth baseball players, and dealing with the typical postgame mayhem that accompanies a dramatic victory.
The fan demand for Rogers might have surpassed that of Hall of Fame basketball coach Gene Keady, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch and will celebrate his 90th birthday on May 21.
Rogers, who attended Mount Carmel High School near Chicago and came to the Boilermakers from Arizona, was the eighth scheduled batter in the ninth. As the inning plays out, he’s standing alone in the dugout, near where the batting helmets are kept, talking to himself, praying for an opportunity.
“I was telling myself, ‘God, let a miracle happen again.’ And I’m just talking to God the whole entire time,” an emotional Rogers said. “He heard me. He did. That was indescribable. That’s awesome, right?”
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Although Rogers was sidelined for more than a month, his confidence hasn’t wavered. He’s wired for these moments.
“I’ve just continued to believe in myself,” he said. “You have to believe in yourself. You know you can accomplish and do anything you want. Just giving myself enough time to heal correctly and actually get in the cages and do as much work as I possibly can to get back and be productive.”
Saturday was another example of this team’s perseverance and selflessness, after falling behind 4-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Thomas Howard limited the damage in his 1 2/3 innings of work, and Gavin Beuter left the bases loaded in the eighth.
In the ninth, the Boilermakers were poised. They were under control. They leaned on each other. And as each at-bat became its own storyline, they found themselves in the position to once again keep their belief alive.
Saturday marked the 19th win after Purdue had trailed at some point.
“We have great leaders, and that’s not coming from me. It comes from our players internally,” Goff said. “I think when you’ve got great leadership internally like that, they just continue to pick each other up.
“They don’t want to let each other down. This is a tough, tight-knit group, and they respect the heck out of each other because of what they've all been through. When you love that guy beside you more than yourself, and you keep pulling for your team, some magic can happen.”