Northwestern
21-22, 10-12
Purdue
26-19, 7-15
Northwestern Takes Series Opener 8-6 at Purdue behind Seventh-Inning Outburst
5/2/2025 11:31:00 PM | Baseball
The Wildcats (21-22, 10-12 Big Ten) grabbed the early lead, going ahead 1-0 on a sacrifice fly by CF Jack Lausch, scoring 3B Owen McElfatrick.GRITTY 'CATS ?? pic.twitter.com/ZFdq44CRey
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) May 3, 2025
Purdue (26-19, 7-15 Big Ten) evened things on a two-out double by DH CJ Richmond, plating 1B Logan Sutter to knot the game back up at one apiece.
Richmond followed that up in his next at bat with an RBI single, scoring SS Camden Gasser to put Purdue in front. Later that inning, LF Aaron Manias tacked on to the lead with a three-run homer to right field, extending Purdue's lead to 5-1. The Boilermakers added another on an RBI single by RF Eli Anderson to stretch the advantage to 6-1.
The Wildcat comeback began in the top of the sixth, when C Bennett Markinson brought Lausch home with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.
The 'Cats exploded for six runs on four hits, two hit batsmen, and a walk in the top of the seventh to go back in front. 1B Tyler Ganus led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a single by LF Preston Knott. A walk by 3B Owen McElfatrick loaded the bases with RF Jackson Freeman coming to the plate. Freeman was hit by a pitch, scoring Ganus for the first run of the inning, and forcing Purdue to make a call to the bullpen. On his first pitch of his appearance, RHP Avery Cook (3-2) plunked SS Ryan Kucherak, bringing Knott around and trimming the deficit to two. 2B Jacob Hand reached on an infield single, scoring McElfatrick and cutting the Purdue lead to one.
With the bases still loaded, Markinson roped a double down the left-field line, clearing the bases to put Northwestern ahead 8-6.
LHP Crawford Wade earned his fourth save of the season, tossing 3.0 hitless innings with three strikeouts in relief to slam the door.BASES CLEARING BARK! ??@bmarkinson9 clears the bases to put the 'Cats in front! pic.twitter.com/xwVxnyDFCh
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) May 3, 2025
RHP Jack Grunkemeyer earned the win in 0.2 innings pitched, inducing a double play to end the sixth.
Game Notes
- Northwestern secured its 10th Big Ten win, its most in a season since 2022.
- C Bennett Markinson went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, a double and a walk.
- 2B Owen McElfatrick tallied his team-high 15th multi-hit game of the season.
- Purdue falls to 20-3 when leading after six innings.
- Northwestern improves to 3-20 when trailing after six innings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grunkemeyer, Jack (2-0)
L: COOK, Avery (3-2)
S: Wade, Crawford (4)
Batting:
2B: Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1
RBI: Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 4
SH: Lausch, Jack 1
SF: Lausch, Jack 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Knott, Preston 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 2 ; Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1 ; Ganus, Tyler 1
HBP: Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: RICHMOND, CJ 1
HR: MANIAS, Aaron 1
RBI: RICHMOND, CJ 2 ; MANIAS, Aaron 3 ; ANDERSON, Eli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GASSER, Camden 1 ; SUTTER, Logan 1 ; RICHMOND, CJ 2 ; RUSSELL, Houston 1 ; MANIAS, Aaron 1
HBP: ANDERSON, Brandon 1 ; RUSSELL, Houston 1
