WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Illinois had eight hits and nine walks but stranded a season-high 14 base runners Friday in a 4-2 loss at Purdue. The Illini left the bases loaded in the second, third and sixth innings.
Illinois (15-20, 3-7 Big Ten) trailed the entire way but never by more than two runs. Purdue (20-18, 7-6 Big Ten) opened a 2-0 lead with two outs in the first inning and never looked back.
"I was disappointed in our approach at the plate," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "We swung at a lot of pitches up in the zone and had a lot of fly ball outs. Purdue was hitting balls on a line."
It was a tough day to hit at Alexander Field with the wind blowing in and the temperature dropping. Purdue countered the weather with four sac bunts and four stolen bases. Illinois made 15 outs in the air.
The Illini scored in the second on a bases-loaded walk from Ben Troike and in the sixth on a Michael Massey RBI single. Massey collected his second straight three-hit game and Jack Yalowitz provided two hits, including a double, and a run.
Purdue's Tanner Andrews (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R) and Dalton Parker (4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R) combined to get the Boilermakers a win. Andrews walked eight but managed to get through five before Parker finished off his fifth save.
Ty Weber (2-4) went 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked four. Ryan Schmitt finished the last 2 1/3 innings and gave up a run on four hits.
Evan Warden led Purdue with two hits, three runs and two stolen bases. Jacson McGowan added two hits and Mike Madej smacked a two-RBI double in the first.
The teams meet again Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. Cyrillo Watson is scheduled to start for Illinois.
