Box Score STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Purdue baseball team plated five runs in the top of the eighth inning to overcome a one-run deficit on its way to a 9-4 win over Samford on the first day of the Diamond Classic, hosted by Mississippi State, Friday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field.
 
With the loss, Samford drops to 4-2. Purdue improves to 3-2 with the win.
 
Samford was led at the plate by Tommy Corbin, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Brandon Haarer also drove in a run in a 1-for-3 performance. Andres Gracia (0-1) took the loss on the mound for Samford, pitching 1.2 innings of relief, allowing five runs on six hits.
 
For Purdue at the plate, Conner Hudnall and Brandon Krieg had four hits each. Stephen Talbott drove in two runs for the Boilermakers. Eddie De LaRiva (2-1) earned the win for the Boilermakers, tossing 3.0 innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits.
 
The teams were scoreless through the first four innings until Purdue took the lead with a  run in the top of the fifth inning. Jake Hansen singled with one out and later scored from third base on a balk for a 1-0 Purdue lead.
 
Samford came back with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score at 1-1. Christiaan Durdaller singled up the middle to lead off the inning. After moving to third base on a single by Caleb Bryson, Durdaller scored on a wild pitch to tie the score.
 
Purdue took the lead again with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Hansen, again, singled to start the rally. He later scored when Talbott reached base on a fielder's choice for a 2-1 Purdue lead.
 
The Bulldogs answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead. C.K. Irby singled up the middle, Durdaller was hit by a pitch and Bryson walked to load the bases. Corbin then singled to drive in Irby to tie the score at 2-2. Durdaller then scored when Haarer grounded into a double play to give Samford a one-run lead.
 
The Boilermakers came back with five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Hudnall scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch. Kyle Wood scored on a sacrifice fly by Hansen for the go-ahead run. Jack Amaro scored the third run of the inning on a single by Krieg, and Krieg later scored on a single by Talbott to make the score 6-3. The final run in the inning scored when Sean McHugh singled to drive in Talbott for a four-run Purdue lead.
 
Purdue plated two final runs in the top of the ninth inning to push its lead to 9-3. Hudnall scored the first run on a sacrifice fly by Angelo Cianfrocco. The Boilermakers' final run was scored when Wood scored on a wild pitch.
 
Samford scored one final run in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score 9-4. Durdaller walked to lead off the inning and later scored on a double by Haarer for the game's final run.
 
Samford will continue play in the Diamond Classic by taking on host Mississippi State Saturday at 3 p.m. Live stats will be available at www.hailsatate.com.