Purdue forces a rubber match with a 5-1 victory on Saturday
By Carl James @jovian34 May 10th, 2025
“Sometimes you just have to adjust differently. We have to execute with guys on base.”
— Head Coach Jeff Mercer
Indiana Hoosiers 1, Purdue Boilermakers 5
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score | Postgame with head coach Jeff Mercer
The Indiana Hoosiers were defeated by the Purdue Boilermakers with a final score of 5-1. Both teams recorded 7 hits and committed 1 error in the game.
Graduate student righty Ben Grable started on the mound for the Hoosiers, with sophomore catcher TJ Schuyler receiving him. Grable had an effective start, throwing strikes and retiring the first seven Boilermakers he faced. His pitch combination of a 92 mph fastball over the plate and a slider just off proved effective early on, resulting in a 1-2-3 first and second inning. Grable recorded his first strikeout in the first inning and had gone through the order once by the third inning, totaling four strikeouts by that point. He was efficient, throwing only 51 pitches through four innings, with three 1-2-3 innings.
Indiana scored its only run in the bottom of the second inning. Jake Hanley opened the inning with a double hit 112mph off the bat. Cooper Malamazian then drove in the first Hoosier run of the day. Malamazian attempted to steal second but was thrown out. Tyler Cerny was hit by a pitch, and Andrew Wiggins drew a walk, loading the bases, but TJ Schuyler made contact that was caught on the warning track to end the inning.
Purdue tied the game in the top of the third inning after Grable allowed his first hit, a single up the middle. A groundball deflected off Grable’s glove, and a throwing error attempting to get the runner at home allowed Purdue to score. Purdue took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a solo home run off the bat of Aaron Manias, hit to the deepest part of the field.
The Indiana offense struggled to produce runs despite getting runners on base. In the bottom of the fourth, Hanley and Malamazian singled, and Wiggins drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, but the inning ended with a fielder’s choice, stranding three runners. In the bottom of the fifth, Dickerson hit a ground rule double with a runner on first, putting two runners in scoring position, but Purdue brought in a lefty reliever, Michael Vallone, who struck out Hanley. Head Coach Jeff Mercer commented on the team’s offensive performance, stating, “sometimes you just have to adjust differently. We have to execute with guys on base”. He noted missed opportunities with runners in scoring position and the frustration of not being able to execute a different game plan against pitchers who moved the infield over. He added that “it really changed the game when we couldn’t when we couldn’t come through with a base hit or a quality at bat after a quality at bat”.
Mercer discussed the difficulty in adjusting to the Purdue reliever, Michael Vallone. Vallone, a lefty, was brought in to face Hanley and was effective. Mercer observed that many right-handed hitters were trying to pull outside pitches against the Purdue reliever with a low slot arm angle, which was ineffective. He described this as the “million-dollar question,” acknowledging the frustration of the team’s inability to adjust despite having shown the ability to do so previously. He mentioned talking to players in the dugout and during timeouts about trusting the scouting report on the pitcher’s movement.
Grable’s outing ended in the sixth inning after issuing a walk, which advanced to third on a strikeout where the catcher dropped the ball and a balk, leading to an RBI single that extended Purdue’s lead to 3-1. Gavin Seebold entered in relief for Indiana. Seebold pitched through the end of the game, touching 95 mph on a strikeout in the seventh inning. However, Purdue extended their lead further in the eighth inning with a two-strike hit-by-pitch followed by a 2-run homer off Seebold, making the score 5-1.
The Hoosiers continued to struggle offensively in the later innings. Vallone was tearing through the Hoosier bats. In the bottom of the eighth, Hanley got a hit, but the inning ended with a double play. The game concluded in the bottom of the ninth with three consecutive groundouts, securing the 5-1 victory for Purdue.
Mercer commented on Jake Hanley’s adjustment between at-bats, noting that after pulling off a pitch the first time, Hanley was “really really focused on being in in the middle of the field knowing they probably were going to follow a similar a similar pitch plan” the next time up. He highlighted Hanley’s intelligence and adjustability, stating, “you may get him once, but you probably won’t get him twice”. Hanley led the Hoosiers with three hits on the day. He was joined by fellow freshman Malamazian as the only other Hoosier to have a multi-hit day.
Defensively, Malamazian was highlighted for his improved play. Mercer stated that Malamazian has become a “much more complete defender,” noting his hard work during BP taking game like reps. Mercer praised his ability to play downhill and make difficult plays look easy, such as the one in the six-hole.
Purdue’s win forces a rubber match that will be on Big Ten Network 4pm ET on Sunday, Mother’s Day. Indiana is now 13-13 in the B1G and could really use another win to solidify a spot in the 12-team B1G Tournament that starts ten days from now.