Purdue won its second straight 6-5 extra inning game over Longwood on Sunday. The comeback victory brings Purdue’s record to 12-0 to start the year.
In a game that was a pitchers duel through seven, Purdue had Wyatt Wendell start on the mound. Wendell went six and a third innings pitched, striking out nine while surrendering just one run on two base hits. Stephen Khal (2-0) pitched both extra frames late in the game, giving up no runs on one base hit and adding two strikeouts on the way to his second victory of the year. The Purdue pitching staff struck out 15 batters on the day.
Longwood (3-9) scored first in the seventh inning when Jim White singled to right field, scoring Justin Looney. The Lancers would add to their lead in the top half of the eighth inning when Michael Peterson tripled in Hayden Harris. Peterson would score shortly after on a wild pitch, bringing the Lancer lead to four.
Purdue would respond in the eighth inning when Jake Parr hit home Cam Thompson on a fielders choice.
The Lancers Hunter Gilliam hit a home run in the top of the ninth to bring the Lancer lead back up to four.
Purdue would not go down easy. In the bottom of the ninth the Boilermakers loaded the bases, and Thompson singled home what would be the first of four runs scored in the inning to send the game to extra innings.
In the home part of the 11th inning, Cam Thompson stepped up to the plate and took an 0-1 pitch over the left center fence to give Purdue their second extra inning walkoff win in as many days against Longwood.
“This one stings,” said head coach Chad Oxendine following the second second straight walk off loss for the Lancers. “We played really good baseball this weekend. Unfortunately, we came up a couple of runs short. We will continue working hard and doing things the right way.”
“The ball will roll our way soon.”
Thompson finished his heroic day going 3-4, adding two RBI and crossing home three times himself.
Junior Hunter Gilliam continues to rake at the plate for the Lancers. The Farmville native finished the day 2-4 at the plate and is the current Big South leader in home runs with six and second in RBI with 13.
Dominick D’Ercole got the start on the mound for Longwood. The junior went three and a third innings pitched, giving up three hits and striking out five. The Lancers used seven total pitchers in the contest. JR Parrish was on the mound in the 11th inning and picked up his first loss of the season.
Longwood is back in action Tuesday when they travel to Charlotte, N.C to take on the University of Charlotte in what will be their last game of their current North Carolina road trip.
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