Purdue pitcher named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (WLFI) - Purdue pitcher, Lance Breedlove, earned the honor of being named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.

The senior right-hander's career-high 11 strikeouts over seven innings of two-hit ball in Purdue baseball's win over Cincinnati helped earn him Big Ten honors.

In a press release issued Monday, Breedlove's honor was explained.

Breedlove was dominant on the mound in his fifth career start as a Boiler. He surrendered only a pair of two-out singles and did now allow a base runner to advance past first. His 11 strikeouts represented the most by a Purdue pitcher since Matt Morgan fanned 14 in a March 2010 win at Ohio.

Breedlove would have retired the final 16 batters he faced if not for a two-out error in the fifth inning. The senior worked four 1-2-3 frames. He struck out the side in the first inning. He also fanned the first hitter of an inning in the second, third and fifth, and recorded the final out of a frame on a strikeout in the third, fourth and sixth.

Thanks in part to not issuing a walk, Breedlove only needed 89 pitches to complete his seven innings. Purdue’s first shutout win since the 2011 Big Ten home opener against Michigan was played in two hours and two minutes. Brett Andrzejewski and Nick Wittgren backed up Breedlove with an inning of scoreless relief each to finish off the shutout at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

The Boilermakers also defeated Connecticut and Notre Dame in St. Petersburg, finishing the season-opening weekend as the only Big Ten team to post a 3-0 record at the Challenge. The two leagues split the event after posting 15 wins apiece. Purdue outscored its three opponents, 30-12.

Breedlove shared Big Ten Pitcher of the Week with Michigan State’s Tony Buccifero, who worked six innings of one-hit ball in the Spartans’ win against Big East preseason favorite St. John’s Friday.

Breedlove joins Joe Haase and Brad Schreiber as active Boilers to win Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors. He also follows in the footsteps of Morgan as Purdue pitchers to be honored after a strong performance at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge the last two seasons. A program-record seven players earned weekly recognition from the conference office last year.

Off to their first 3-0 start since 1991, the Boilermakers return to action Friday when they take on East Carolina on day one of ECU’s four-team Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.