CALEDONIA, Mich. – Missed opportunities to score throughout the game loomed large as the Purdue University Northwest baseball team dropped the final game of the regular season 5-3 at Davenport.
PNW (18-21, 7-17 GLIAC) left a total of 18 runners on base for an average of two per inning — a single-game program record. Three innings saw three runners left on base including the ninth.
PNW got another strong pitching start when
Joe Buikema (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep) went 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs while allowing seven hits and striking out five with no walks. Unfortunately for Buikema, he did have to take the no-decision after Davenport struck for a pair of runs off reliever
Jack Sielatycki (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern) (1-2) in the bottom of the eighth.
The offense did give Buikema a lead with two outs in the second inning when
Ray Hilbrich's (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) double down the right-field line was deep enough to score
Bret Matthys (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) to put PNW up 1-0.
Matthys put the Pride up 2-0 with two outs in the fifth inning when he singled to the shortstop and
Hayden Matulich (San Jose, Calif./Pioneer) scored.
The Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out triple and took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center field.
PNW responded to losing the lead by tying the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth on a Matulich single up the middle that brought Hilbrich in from second.
A pair of walks to begin the bottom of the eighth and a bunt single loaded the bases for Davenport, and the Panthers capitalized on the opportunity to plate two runs for the 5-3 final margin before shutting down the PNW comeback attempt in the ninth.
Hilbrich, Matulich, Matthys and
Jack Gallagher (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North High School) collected two hits each with one of Hilbrich's being a double. Hilbrich, Matulich and Matthys each drove in and scored a run.
One positive that can be taken from the game was the patience of the PNW batters in drawing a series-high nine walks to go along with two players being hit by pitches. Seven batters collected walks with Matthys and
Luke Montgomery (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence High School) garnering two each.
UP NEXT
The 2022 GLIAC Baseball Tournament awaits the six qualifying schools.
PNW will be the six seed and will face off against top-seeded Davenport on Thursday at 3 p.m. CDT at The Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.
Other first round matchups in the double-elimination tournament that runs until Sunday are (2) Wayne State against (5) Saginaw Valley State at 11 a.m. CDT and (3) Northwood facing off against (4) Grand Valley State at 7 p.m. CDT.
For more information regarding the GLIAC Tournament, please click the link below:
2022 GLIAC Baseball Tournament Homepage
FOLLOW THE PRIDE
For all the latest information on Purdue Northwest Baseball, please visit PNWathletics.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Pride (@pnwathletics / @PNW_Baseball) on Twitter. You can also find the Pride on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
