Buckeye Comeback Falls Short in Series-Opener at Purdue

Friday, April 17

West Lafayette, Ind.

6:00 P.M.

Ohio State

19-17, 9-7

Purdue

26-11, 13-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ohio State	1	0	0	0	4	0	4	0	0	9	14	2
Purdue	1	6	1	1	0	1	0	0	X	10	12	1

Buckeye Comeback Falls Short in Series-Opener at Purdue

4/17/2026 10:42:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite a seventh-inning rally, the Ohio State baseball team (19-17, 9-7 Big Ten) fell to Purdue (26-11, 13-6 Big Ten), 10-9, in the teams' series-opener on Friday night at Alexander Field.

Game Recap

In the top of the first, Alex Bemis led off with a double and advanced to third on a Purdue error. A single from Henry Kaczmar sent Bemis home to give the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead.
The Boilermakers tied the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the first inning after a sacrifice fly.
Mason Eckelman led off the second inning with a double to left center, but he was left on base.
Purdue took a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning after a bases-clearing double, an RBI single and a two-run home run.
With one out in the top of the third, Kaczmar singled up the middle, but there was nothing else doing for the Buckeyes.
An RBI double for the Boilermakers in the bottom of the third inning extended their lead, 8-1.
In the top of the fourth frame, Eckelman doubled down the left field line with one out on the board, but Ohio State was not able to capitalize.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Boilermakers took an eight-run lead, 9-1, after an RBI single. With one out and bases loaded, the Buckeyes turned a 6-4-3 double play to limit the damage.
Bemis hit a one-out infield single in the top of the fifth. A single up the middle from Kaczmar advanced Bemis to third base to put runners on the corners. Noah Furcht stepped up to the dish next and he went yard, driving in three runs to cut into the Purdue lead. Dane Harvey was next up, and he smashed the ball 442 feet out of the park to cut the Boilermaker lead to four runs, 9-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Boilermakers took a five-run lead, 10-5, after an RBI single.
Kaczmar led off with a double right center in the seventh. With one out, Harvey went yard for the second time, plating two runs to put the Buckeyes within three, 10-7, of the Boilermakers. Maddix Simpson walked, Eckelman singled to left center, and, with two outs, Jacob Parr struck out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch to load the bases. Miles Vandenheuvel was next at the plate, and he lined a single through the left side to send two runs home and bring the Buckeyes within one run of the lead, 10-9.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Furcht was hit by a pitch to reach base, but he was left stranded.
Eckelman singled through the left side to lead off the top of the ninth and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Lee Ellis. A groundout from pinch-hitter Grant Mangrum advanced Eckelman, the tying run, to third base, but a fly out from Vandenheuvel ended the game.

Buckeyes by the Numbers

Eckelman and Kaczmar led the Buckeyes with four hits each. It is a career-high for Eckelman, and ties Kaczmar's career-high.
Furcht and Harvey led the team in RBIs with three each.
Harvey has now hit 10 home runs on the season, which leads the team. It is his second two-home run game.
Gavin Kuzniewski (2-2) took the loss on the mound. He struck out one and gave up nine runs on 10 hits in 4.0 innings pitched.
Jack Cecil struck out a career-high three and allowed one run on two hits in 2.0 innings of relief.

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