Purdue baseball snaps a seven game losing streak

CHICAGO, IL. (WLFI) - Four Boilers had at least three hits as Purdue baseball recorded season-high totals in runs and hits (20), posting a pair of big innings to defeat Illinois-Chicago, 17-10, Saturday afternoon and snap a seven-game losing streak.

The Boilermakers (4-9) scored eight times in the second inning and six times in the eighth. The eight-run rally was the biggest of the young season. The Flames (4-7) also scored four runs in an inning twice.

Jack Picchiotti delivered a pair of RBI singles in the eight-run inning, finishing the day 4-for-6 to become the fourth Boiler this season to record a four-hit game. Jake Hansen posted his first three-hit effort and also walked twice to reach base safely in five of his six plate appearances.

Sean McHugh and Jack Amaro had three hits apiece as well. Angelo Cianfrocco doubled to both left and right center, igniting the second-inning rally with his opposite field two-bagger.

Jordan Minch (1-2) earned his first collegiate win on the mound, recording three 1-2-3 innings and retiring 10 consecutive batters at one point. He gave up a pair of two-run homers to left field in the sixth inning to somewhat sully what was otherwise a strong outing. He did not issue a walk until the fifth inning and induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded in the fifth.

Minch retired the 10 straight hitters from the second through the fifth innings. He worked 1-2-3 frames in the first, third and fourth. Mike Lutz retired five of the six batters he faced over an inning and two thirds of relief and Patrick Kenney struck out the only batter he faced to finish off the win.

After struggling mightily at the plate during the seven-game losing streak, especially with runners in scoring position, Purdue hitters came through in 13 of their 23 opportunities with runners in scoring position. Picchiotti and Amaro both delivered a pair of two-out hits as well. And with three sacrifice flies, the Boilers also put the ball in play to knock in a runner from third with less than two outs.

Purdue recorded five consecutive hits against UIC starter Jack Andersen (0-4) in the second inning. A line drive off the bat of McHugh struck Andersen in the leg and forced the freshman to leave the game. But he was already teetering at that juncture, with four runs across and no outs in the inning.

The Boilermakers didn’t make their first out of the second inning until Conner Hudnall plated Brandon Krieg with a sac fly to left field. Krieg was the sixth runner to score in the inning.

With runners on the corners and no outs in the top of the second, it was Picchiotti that came through with the first big hit of the day. Down in the count 0-2, Picchiotti hit a line drive to center field for an RBI single. His second hit of the inning was essentially a carbon copy. Hansen, Krieg and McHugh also delivered RBI singles during the rally. Kyle Wood drew a bases-loaded walk as the first batter UIC reliever Ian Lewandowski faced.

Amaro came through with a two-out RBI single to plate Cianfrocco in the top of the fourth. Two innings later, three straight two-out hits from Stephen Talbott, Picchiotti and Amaro led to another insurance run.

Picchiotti and Wood doubled home a run in the six-run eighth inning. McHugh also had a two-run single.

The 17 runs were the most for Purdue since scoring 30 in a March 10 win at Murray State last season. The Boilermakers also had 20 hits in their dramatic last at-bat comeback win at UCLA on May 6 of 2012.

Purdue has posted a double-figure run total in five of the last six meetings against UIC dating back to 2011.

The rubber game of the three-game weekend series is set for 2 p.m. ET Sunday.