WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — The game was supposed to be over.
On Sunday, Purdue held a 3-2 lead over the Northwestern baseball team going into the seventh and final inning of Game 2 in its weekend series. Moreover, the Boilermakers were sending to the mound 6-foot-7 fireballer Andy Helmer, who shares Purdue’s career mark for saves.
But two innings later the Wildcats (27-23, 10-13 Big Ten) emerged with a 4-3 victory, highlighting a weekend in which they took two of three games from the third-place Boilermakers (31-19, 14-9 Big Ten). NU won 7-5 in Game 1 Saturday and prevailed early Sunday before dropping the second game of that day’s doubleheader 10-6. The series concludes with today’s 1 p.m. start.
The Cats took advantage of several Purdue miscues to win Game 2. NU second baseman J.P. Williamson singled home pinch hitter Ken Padgett, who had advanced to second on a wild pitch by Helmer, to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, centerfielder Eric Roeder reached on a Purdue error. Helmer threw another wild pitch, putting Roeder in scoring position, and rightfielder Brandon Ackley singled Roeder home. NU starter Gabe Ribas (7-3), who allowed just one earned run over eight innings, slammed the door in the bottom of the inning, striking out the last two batters.
“That’s as good as I’ve felt all season,” Ribas said. “I didn’t have great stuff, but the adrenaline was running through me. I didn’t know if I had any gas going into the last inning. I just reached deep down into my heart and said: ‘This is it. I’m the guy that started. It’s my game and I’m going to finish it.'”
NU played come-from-behind baseball all weekend. The Cats came back twice in Game 1, and pitchers Dan Padgett and Mike Nall shut down Purdue in the late innings to preserve the win.
NU coach Paul Stevens said his team adopted a never-give-up attitude.
“I don’t think this team has ever quit,” Stevens said. “I hate to lose. I want to be that junkyard dog willing to spring at somebody, and there are a lot of guys that are starting to get that mentality around here.”
The two wins tightened the Cats’ hold on sixth place in the Big Ten.
However, NU is still fighting for a postseason berth and have first-place Penn State to look forward to after today’s contest against Purdue.
“We need to do everything we can,” Ribas said. “We have to come out with the same intensity every game.”
A pair of clutch hits got the Cats started on the right foot Saturday.
In a back-and-forth battle, NU found itself down 4-3 in the top of the sixth. With first baseman Travis Tharp on first and two outs, Stevens elected to pinch-hit Roeder for centerfielder Kris Musselman.
Roeder singled to right and Tharp scored on an errant throw. A single by shortstop Jeremy Kurella scored Roeder and gave the Cats a 5-4 lead.
Purdue tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff home run by outfielder Daniel Underwood.
But NU struck back when outfielder Jason Anderson stroked a pinch-hit double down the left field line to score two and give the Cats a 7-5 win.
Game 3 was a different story. NU dug itself a hole too deep to climb out of, handing the Boilermakers a 10-0 lead.
Purdue designated hitter Daryl Hallada launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and added a two-run single in the sixth.
Purdue starter Jeremy Ballard cruised through the first five innings, holding the Cats scoreless. Nevertheless, NU fought back and mounted a six-run rally in the final two innings before Boilermakers reliever Travis Dorsch recorded the final out and gave Purdue the win.
Still, the Cats were pleased with the start of the series in spite of the Game 3 loss.
“We fought hard for two days and that’s all we can ask for right now,” Ribas said. “Everyone has done their part.”
