Tulane takes series over Purdue with 6-2 win Sunday

Box Score (PDF)

NEW ORLEANS – Sophomore Keagan Gillies struck out 11 batters over 7.0 innings and junior center fielder Grant Witherspoon hit two home runs to lead Tulane baseball to a 6-2 series-clinching win over Purdue Sunday at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The Green Wave (8-8) were unfazed by the two-hour delayed start due to inclement weather early Sunday afternoon. In the bottom of the first Witherspoon, Tulane’s second hitter, put the Wave on the board with a long home run that hit a palm tree in the back yard of a house beyond the left field wall.

Gillies (2-1), meanwhile, allowed one hit through four innings, and just four baserunners in his first five frames. He more than doubled his previous career high strikeout total of five and doubled his season total entering the day. He finished the game with eight hits and two runs allowed in seven innings.

“Today wasn’t an easy day, and obviously they’re a good team,” Tulane head coach Travis Jewett said. “We were supposed to play at 1:00, but we had a rain delay and the kids handled it well. They showed up out here ready to play and the scoreboard reflected it. I think Keagan had intent to pitch well. His preparation is really good and he’s getting everything he deserves right now.”

Sophomore shortstop Sal Gozzo drove home two runs in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Senior designated hitter Matt Rowland, who had two hits and scored twice, led off the inning with a single and sophomore left fielder Luke Glancy followed with his first career hit – a double off the wall in center field to set up the RBI hit.

The Green Wave tacked on runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Rowland started the fourth with a base hit, and then scored on an infield single by sophomore second baseman Jonathon Artigues. After Purdue (9-4) picked up a run in the top of the sixth, Glancy hit his second double of the day to start the bottom half and then scored on junior catcher Acy Owen’s base hit to make it 5-1.

Witherspoon’s second home run of the day hit the foul pole down the right field line and extended the lead to 6-2 in the seventh inning. He has matched Rowland for the team lead with three home runs this season.

Purdue first baseman Jacson McGowan hit an RBI single in the sixth inning, and right fielder Ben Nisle hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh. Starter Bo Hofstra (1-1) pitched 3.0 innings and took the loss for the Boilermakers.

Graduate senior Ben White relieved Gillies to start the eighth and retired all six batters he faced to close out the game. Sophomore third baseman Kody Hoese went 3-for-4 as Tulane totaled 12 hits in the game, racking up double digit hits for the fifth time in the last seven contests.

The Green Wave play host to UL-Lafayette at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Southern Miss at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

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Tulane 6, Purdue 2 (Mar 11, 2018 at New Orleans, La.)
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Purdue………….. 000 001 100 – 2 8 0 (9-4)
Tulane………….. 120 101 10X – 6 12 0 (8-8)
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Pitchers: Purdue – HOFSTRA, Bo; BOHM, Andrew(4); MOORE, Matt(4); BEARD, Ryan(5);
PARKER, Dalton(7) and DALESANDRO, Nick. Tulane – GILLIES, Keagan; WHITE, Ben(8) and OWEN, Acy.
Win-GILLIES, Keagan(2-1) Loss-HOFSTRA, Bo(1-1) T-2:35 A-1582
HR PUR – NISLE, Ben (3).
HR TLN – WITHERSPOON, Grant 2 (3).
Weather: 62 Cloudy, Wind NE @ 12 mph
BEARD faced 1 batter in the 7th.