Purdue baseball storms back from big deficit to stun Indiana in series opener: "You can never count us out"
Out for more than a month, Brandon Rogers delivered a clutch hit as the Boilermakers scored nine unanswered runs to beat Indiana in Friday's series opener. The Hoosiers led 9-2 after six innings
Brandon Rogers fully embraced the momentum.
He sensed the crowd growing louder, adding more support as Purdue continued to chip away at Indiana’s large lead. After CJ Richmond’s two-run single brought the Boilermakers closer, the moment took Rogers back to his high school days.
“This feels like a Friday night football game back in high school with the lights on and everything,” Rogers said. “It was a moment that I haven’t been able to do what I’ve wanted to do. And so I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s make it a night.’ ”
And what a night it was for Rogers and the Boilermakers, who trailed 8-0 and 9-2 before overtaking the Hoosiers to post an 11-9 victory at Alexander Field. Game 2 of the series is Saturday (2 p.m.).
Rogers’ two-run pinch hit single in the bottom of the eighth tied the score, and Sam Flores followed with a two-run homer as Purdue pulled off an improbable comeback to take sole possession of fifth place in the Big Ten standings. The Boilermakers scored a combined nine runs in their last two at-bats.
Adding to the storyline is this nugget: Rogers made his first plate appearance in more than a month. Try 35 days to exact. He’s hit in the batting cage and faced Purdue’s pitchers during practice. This was different.
On April 3 against Illinois, Rogers crashed into the Alexander Field wall and suffered a broken left hand, sidelining the senior while his teammates picked him up and kept Purdue connected to the upper half of the league and alive for an NCAA tournament berth.
Rogers hit a 3-1 pitch off reliever Gavin Seebold into left field, scoring Zach Zychowski and Weston Boyle to tie the score at 9, giving those fans who remained on this cool, damp evening a lasting memory.
Hitting two grand slams in a week, as Rogers did against Illinois-Chicago and Michigan State earlier this season, is a major accomplishment, but nothing will top Friday’s late-game drama.
“Honestly, it started with the crowd and my teammates just welcoming me back,” Rogers said. “It just locked me in even more than what I was initially. I was just happy to be back. The mindset was just to keep it simple and sweet. That’s exactly what happened. The moment called for it, and I made the most of it.”
However, two pitches later, Flores smacked his 10th homer over the right field wall, giving the Boilermakers their first lead of the game.
“Well, I hit it, and I just stared at it to see if it stayed fair,” Flores said. The right fielder was trying to track it down, and I just said, ‘Oh man, please get out.’ ”
The comeback was complete when closer Jake Kramer retired the Hoosiers in order in the top of the ninth, giving Purdue its fifth straight conference victory at Alexander Field and improving the overall home record to 18-6.
“THE CONSTANT BELIEF”
For those inside Purdue’s clubhouse and dugout, the belief runs strong, despite numerous injuries and needing the whole roster to stay in contention all season. On nearly every occasion, coach Greg Goff’s team has responded.
“Just the team, the team chemistry and the camaraderie that we have, and the love for each other, and the constant belief,” Flores said.
Purdue didn’t help itself early, and the Hoosiers roughed up starter Cole Van Assen, who allowed a season-high eight runs before leaving in the sixth. But the bullpen continued to excel, keeping Indiana off the scoreboard during the final 3 2/3 innings.
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It’s been the case all season, but the contributions came throughout the lineup. Rogers and Flores are the headliners from this game, but nine players produced at least one hit, and Eli Anderson, who was 0-for-4, had two RBI on a sacrifice fly and a groundout.
The bottom of the third in the order totaled four hits and five RBI, led by three from Zychowski, who had a run-scoring triple, and the second baseman made a nifty defensive play in the ninth.
Zychowski has developed into a major contributor, filling in for the injured Dylan Drake, who’s been out since mid-April.
“People write books about this type of stuff,” Goff said. “He makes that great play in the last inning right there. That ball is hit hard, and just picks it up, like he’s Tommy Herr back in the old days for the Cardinals.
“Just can’t say enough about him, and waiting for his turn. Dylan gets hurt, he steps in, and does a phenomenal job. That’s what a great team does.”
Give credit to Indiana starter Tony Nueuback, who locked down Purdue’s bats for six innings, allowing four hits and recording eight strikeouts. But the offense started to roll against IU’s bullpen, which surrendered nine earned runs in two innings.
“It was frustrating, and it’s tough to get down,” Flores said. “We play rally offense and take one baserunner to two, and we’re going.”
“HE LIVES FOR THOSE MOMENTS”
The most significant development for Goff on Friday is the return of Rogers, who was a powerful force in the lineup before his injury. Now, the Boilermakers have one of their top hitters available for the final two weeks of the regular season and heading into the Big Ten tournament.
Not only will Rogers boost the offense, but his presence in the outfield will improve the defense.
“He’s an overachiever. He lives for those moments. He doesn’t shy away from it,” Goff said. “He took some breaking balls, but he was locked in. Whenever he’s locked in, and he’s focused like that, he’s just really tough.
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“He solidifies our defense and gives us a little bit more toughness and a little bit more of a right-handed hitter. He just brings the energy. We need him to get back in there, be strong, and do what he was doing beforehand. He was killing it beforehand.”
It’s been a one-of-a-kind season for the Boilermakers, who have overcome injuries, delivered dramatic moments, and leaned on their whole roster to stay among the top teams in the league. Purdue is trying to climb into the top four in the standings, earn a bye in the conference tournament, and stay alive for an NCAA berth.
The Boilermakers have proved a lot this season, not only to themselves but to the rest of the Big Ten and the nation. No deficit is too big to overcome, and no one within the program will lose belief in what this team can accomplish, regardless of the circumstances.
“We’re just determined,” Rogers said. “We’re poised. In the dugout, there’s no type of … ‘We can’t do this. We can’t do that.’ Everything is positive. At the end of the day, we’re warriors, we’re dogs, we’re just ready for any fight, to be honest. And you can never count us out.”
BIG TEN STANDINGS
Top 12
Through Friday
1-UCLA 25-0
2-Nebraska 18-7
3-USC 19-8
4-Oregon 17-8
5-Purdue 16-9
6-Michigan 15-10
7-Ohio State 14-11
8-Iowa 12-13
9-Illinois 11-14
Minnesota 11-14
11-Washington 11-15
12-Rutgers 10-15