Purdue scored an unearned run in the ninth inning Sunday for a walk-off 2-1 win over the Illinois baseball team. The Boilermakers completed a three-game sweep of Illinois.
"You look at the entire game, we beat ourselves," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "We had opportunities to score runs and couldn't do it then we made a crucial error. We didn't play with great composure."
A ground ball to third with a runner on second base and two outs in the ninth got under the glove of Trent Hammond to win it for Purdue (22-18, 9-6 Big Ten). It was Purdue's first Big Ten sweep since March 2013 at Penn State.
Purdue's Mike Kornacker (5.2 IP, 2 H) and Cameron Williams (1.2 IP, 2 H) shut out the Illini through the first seven innings. Illinois (15-22, 3-9 Big Ten) had opportunities to score in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but stranded five base runners through the three-inning stretch.
The Illini were able to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the eighth when David Craan scored on a two-out infield single by Tyler Engel. The hit was Engel's second hit of the game and seventh RBI of the season in 25 at-bats.
Matthew James threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. Ryan Thompson (2-2) came into relieve for four innings, allowing one hit and one unearned run but ended up taking the tough-luck loss.
With two-outs in the bottom of the ninth, Thompson walked Purdue's Milo Beam. Illini closer Joey Gerber came into pitch and Evan Warden hit the game-winning grounder to third, after Beam had moved to second on a steal.
Michael Massey extended his hitting streak to a season high nine games with a single in top of the seventh.
The Illini play Tuesday at Bradley before continuing Big Ten play next weekend at Minnesota.
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