The Purdue University Calumet baseball team came away with the series victory with Monday’s split against league foe Purdue North Central.
The Peregrines (11-10, 6-6 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) defeated the Panthers (2-27, 1-10) 6-1 in Monday’s Game 1 before falling in Game 2, 3-0.
Purdue Calumet won the series opener in Hammond Sunday, 12-7.
The Peregrines return to action Saturday, April 9, with a league pair at Calumet St. Joseph.
GAME 1: Purdue Calumet 6, Purdue North Central 1
Purdue Calumet only needed four hits in Monday’s opener to plate six runs behind the pitching of senior Phil Madvek (Hobart, Ind./Hobart), who went all seven innings, giving up just three hits and striking out four.
The Peregrines struck first with a run in the second inning, when senior John Cristo (Munster, Ind./Munster) slugged for his second home run of the season with a shot down the right-field line with two outs. The visitors would get another run in the fourth, when Avondre Harris (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) walked, stole second, and later scored on a wild pitch.
Purdue Calumet exploded with three more runs in the fifth, one on an error and two more via senior Cody Dykema’s (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) two-RBI single to left field.
PNC got its lone run of the game in the fifth when Mike Mikulich singled up the middle to score Blake Logsdon, who walked and stole second base. But the Peregrines would add one more insurance run in the seventh on Cristo’s RBI single to score Dykema, who walked.
Cristo finished 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Peregrines offensively. Purdue North Central was held to just three this, as Mikulich, Kyle Hernandez and Cody Haver all singled.
GAME 2: Purdue North Central 3, Purdue Calumet 0
Panthers’ starter John Chico held Purdue Calumet hitters off-balance for all nine innings in a three-hitter to give PNC the victory in Game 2.
Tyler Crussen (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler), Cody Dykema, and pinch-hitter Drake Larriuz (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community) were the lone Peregrines to connect for hits, all singles.
Purdue Calumet starter Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Bishop Noll) took the loss, scattering eight hits to go along with seven strikeouts in eight innings pitched.
Purdue North Central scored first in the second inning, when Trey Burrus scored on a wild pitch. The next five innings were scoreless for both teams until the Panthers added two more in the eighth on Blake Logsdon’s two-RBI single with two outs.
Blake Benedict led the Panthers offensively, finishing 3-for-4 with a double.