SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball lost 12-4 to Purdue on Thursday in the opening game of a four-game series at Stephen Schott Stadium. Mike Madej was a home run away from the cycle for the Boilermakers, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs driven in.
Senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Steffens (1-3) was handed the loss. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs (10 total) and 12 hits while striking out eight batters.
Ross Learnard of Purdue (7-8) earned his first win of the season, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief and allowing just one hit while striking out one batter.
The Boilermakers took the lead over SCU (4-13) in the top of the first inning. After giving up two consecutive singles, Jacson McGowan hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Mike Madej. The ensuing batter, Evan Kennedy, doubled to right center to score Nick Dalesandro and put Purdue up 2-0.
Madej doubled to left center in the top of the third inning and then came around to score on a Dalesandro single to right center to extend the Purdue lead to 3-0.
The Broncos got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior first baseman Jake Brodt singled to start things off and then advanced to third on a double by sophomore third baseman John Cresto. Senior left fielder Tyler Meditz hit a sacrifice fly to score Brodt and advance Cresto. Cresto then crossed home plate on a balk from Dellinger.
After giving up two runs, Purdue responded in the top of the fifth inning with three runs of its own. McGowan hit a bases-clearing triple off the top of the wall in center field to push the Boilermakers lead to 6-2.
The Boilermakers tacked on four unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning to end Steffens' day.
The Broncos added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior second baseman Evan Haberle singled then advanced to third base on a double from junior catcher Lucas Eliason. Junior shortstop Austin Fisher hit a sacrifice fly to score Haberle. Freshman center fielder Andre Nnebe drove in Eliason on his groundout to second to cut the Purdue lead to 10-4.
Purdue put one more unearned run on the board in the top of the eighth and scored a run in the top of the ninth to end the game's scoring.
Up Next: Santa Clara will continue its series against the Boilermakers on Friday at 6 p.m. PT.
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