Purdue nearly makes comeback, falls to IU in first round of Big Ten Tournament

Keenan Spence gave the Boilers daylight as they tried to make a comeback on their rivals, but a double play two batters later followed by a strikeout snuffed it out as Purdue (33-23) lost 8-6 to Indiana (31-22-1).

The Boilers are now down to their last strike. Another loss in the double elimination Big Ten Tournament would end their season, as the team has finished its season on a 1-8 conference skid.

Tuesday marked the second outing in a row that team ace and All-Big Ten third-teamer Jordan Morales struggled. Last time it was in a pivotal game one in Purdue's series against Illinois, when a regular season title was in play. In Morales' previous start against the Hoosiers, he went 5.2 innings and surrendered two runs.

In the tournament game, it was five runs against Morales, all on the ledger from the fifth and sixth innings. It took three pitchers, Morales and two relievers, to end a troublesome five-run sixth for the Boilers.

The late charge, though, with five Purdue runs scored across the eighth and ninth innings, ensured the score would end close and in doing so continued a remarkable trend: five of Purdue's last eight Big Ten losses have come by two runs or less.

Purdue will play Wednesday at 8 p.m. against the loser of Tuesday night's Nebraska-Ohio State game.