WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Rutgers baseball had a chance to take the lead with bases loaded in the second inning, but Purdue escaped and followed with two runs of their own in the bottom half on the way to taking the series opener, 4-0, Friday at Alexander Field. It was the start of the second half of the Big Ten schedule for the Scarlet Knights.
 
Senior John O'Reilly (5-2) pitched seven innings with three earned runs allowed, receiving no run support in his first loss since Opening Day. The right-hander moved up to fifth in program history at 281.1 career innings and sits ninth with 165 strikeouts. Sophomore Kyle Gerace and redshirt junior Ryan Wares combined to toss one scoreless frame of relief.
 
The Scarlet Knights (22-16, 6-7) totaled six hits in the game. Junior Jawuan Harris reached base three times on two walks and a single, stealing his 78^th career base to move within seven of matching Doug Alongi (1991-93) for the school record. Senior Kyle Walker drew two walks to take over the team lead with 21 on the year, while fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz singled and doubled.
 
Tanner Andrews (5-3) earned the win for Purdue (22-16, 8-4) by logging seven shutout innings, totaling six strikeouts.
 
RU threatened to score first by loading the bases with one out in the top of the second. The Boilermakers picked up a strikeout and fly ball to keep the game scoreless. Then Tyler Powers laid down a suicide squeeze with one out in the next half inning, as both runners in scoring position came across on the play.
 
O'Reilly prevented anything from scoring in the fifth when loading the bases via an intentional walk and then inducing a 4-6-3 double play started by sophomore Kevin Welsh. He has picked up seven twin killings in 11 starts. However, the Boilermakers used a sacrifice fly to tack on one in the seventh and plated an unearned tally one inning later.
 
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights will look to repeat history against the Boilermakers, as Purdue won the opener of the previous two series before Rutgers won the next two games in 2015 and 2017.
 
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