WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Rutgers baseball dropped game two to Purdue by a score of 10-5 on Saturday afternoon at Alexander Field.
 
The Scarlet Knights (16-19, 5-9) were unable to overcome an early 4-0 deficit to the Boilermakers (22-12, 5-9), who secured the series win.
 
Purdue struck first with a crooked number in the first inning, loading the bases to set the stage for a four-spot. A pair of one-run singles followed by a two-run single would put the hosts up 4-0.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Boilermakers added another on a bases-loaded walk to push the score to 5-0.
 
True freshman Nolan Peel entered with the bases loaded in the third and limited the damage with a strikeout. Peel would go on to have the best outing of his young career, pitching a career-high 3.1 scoreless innings, yielding just two hits with a career-high five strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Scarlet Knights put together a rally in the eighth, kickstarted by three straight hits to start the frame. Peyton Bonds drove in the first run with an RBI single to score Matt Chatelle. Trevor Cohen drove in another with an RBI single of his own. JT Thompson walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-3. After making it a two-run game, a double play ended the frame.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, the Boilermakers erased all doubt with five runs to expand their lead to 10-3. Despite a two-run single from Ty Doucette in the ninth, that was all the scoring for RU in the final frame. 
 
Notes

• Trevor Cohen extended his team-high on-base streak to 18 games.
• Cohen recorded his 16th multi-hit game and eighth in Big Ten play. 
• Peyton Bonds now has eight straight games with a hit and an RBI. 
• Matt Chatelle recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season. 

• Nolan Peel: Innings Pitched (3.1), Strikeouts (5), Batters Faced (13 – tie) 

The series finale between Rutgers and Purdue is set for 1 p.m. Sunday on Big Ten Plus.

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