OMAHA (Interstat) — Michigan State built an early eight-run lead and held on to defeat Purdue 8-4 Tuesday evening in the opening round of the Big Ten Baseball Championship at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Spartans, who entered the tournament with a 23-31 record, scored four runs in the first inning and four more in the second to seize control. Aidan Donovan, the starting pitcher, threw 7 2/3 innings without allowing a hit, striking out six while surrendering two earned runs. Donovan improved to 3-0 in his past three appearances after tossing seven scoreless innings against Illinois State on May 14 and a seven-inning, four-earned-run effort at Ohio State on May 9.

Michigan State collected 11 hits, led by first baseman Randy Seymour, who drove in three runs on two hits. Center fielder Khamaree Thomas went 2 for 4 with two RBI, and designated hitter Issac Sturgess added two hits and an RBI. Right fielder Parker Picot hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Purdue, the higher seed at 34-19, managed only seven hits and could not solve Donovan for most of the game. The Boilermakers did not put a runner on base until the fourth inning, and their first hit did not come until the sixth, when second baseman Dylan Drake singled. Donovan departed with two outs in the eighth after yielding two runs on two hits – the first hits he allowed all night.

Purdue’s rally began in the eighth. With two outs, center fielder Brandon Rogers delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to 8-2. The Boilermakers added two more in the ninth on an RBI double by catcher Jackson Bessette and a sacrifice fly by Drake, but reliever Nolan Higgins entered and struck out Rogers to end the game with the tying run on deck.

The game’s most critical stretch came in the first two innings. Michigan State sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring four times on three hits and a pair of Purdue errors. Thomas opened the scoring with a bunt single that brought home Braylon Williams, who had walked and advanced on a fielding error. Seymour then singled to left to drive in two more, and a single by Luke Murphy made it 4-0.

The Spartans extended the lead in the second with four more runs. Williams singled, advanced to third on a single by Jace Bright, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Thomas. Sturgess doubled down the left-field line to score Bright, and Seymour singled to bring home Sturgess. Picot’s solo homer in the fourth gave Michigan State an 8-0 lead.

Purdue starter was knocked out early, and reliever Graham Kollen threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in a losing effort. Bessette had two hits and an RBI for the Boilermakers, and Rogers drove in two runs.

The Spartans had lost two of three to Purdue in the regular season, including a 16-13 slugfest on March 28 and an 11-4 defeat on March 29. Michigan State did take the finale of that series, 4-3, on March 27.

Michigan State advanced in the double-elimination tournament, while Purdue moved to the losers’ bracket.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Purdue 7, Michigan State 6, and its ELO system had given the Boilermakers a 57.40 percent probability to win.