Purdue Calumet Tops PNC 13-9 to Capture League Series

PUC-PeregrinsAfter a 25-hour delay, the Purdue University Calumet baseball team resumed play and pulled off the 13-9 league win over rival Purdue North Central Monday afternoon at Hicks Field and captured the three-game series, 2-1.

Purdue Calumet (12-5. 5-5 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) led the Panthers (13-8, 7-5 CCAC) of Westville by a score of 10-3 heading into the top of the fourth inning Sunday afternoon before the game was suspended due to inclement weather.

No matter, as the Peregrines were able to hold off the Panthers rally Monday to seal the series win after winning Game 1 Saturday by a score of 4-1. PNC won Game 2 Saturday, 3-1.

In the second inning Sunday, junior John Cristo (Munster, Ind./Munster) made Peregrine history when he belted the program’s first-ever home run to score three and put Purdue Calumet ahead, 3-2. After the Panthers knotted things up in the top of the third at 3-3, the Peregrines exploded for seven runs in the third.

Senior Micah Rooke (Robertsdale, Ind./Clark) started the rally with an RBI-single through the left side to score Eric Sickles (Benicia, Calif./Benicia), who doubled to start the inning. Anthony Colosimo (Lake Forest, Ind./Loyola) and CJ Gear (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) then connected on RBI-singles, followed by a Cole Garcia (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Canyon) RBI walk to make the score 6-3.

Avery Lochow (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), Sickles added RBI singles and Garcia would score on a passed ball to round out the Peregrines’ scoring to give Purdue Calumet a 10-3 lead before the game was called Sunday.

Monday, the Panthers used three home runs – two by Cody Haver (Valparaiso, Ind.) and one by Colin Willis – to make things interesting, but the Peregrines answered with runs in the seventh and eighth to hold off the charge.

Junior Cody Dykema (Crown Point, Ind./Lake Central) added an RBI single in the seventh and Garcia added an RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth to add to Purdue Calumet’s lead.

Senior Justin Stowe (Highland, Ind./Hammond Baptist) picked up the win on the hill, pitching 4.2 innings of relief while scattering four hits, three earned runs and striking out two.

Purdue Calumet finished the game with 19 hits, which tied a school record. Sickles set a new record for hits in a game with five, as the junior finished 5-for-6 with a RBI and a double.

Gear finished 3-for-4 with a RBI and John Livingston (Highland, Ind./Highland) and Cristo and Lochow had two hits apiece.

Purdue Calumet returns to action Tuesday when the Peregrines host Judson University in a CCAC doubleheader at Dowling Park’s Albert’s Diamond Jewelers Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. (CT).