OMAHA, Neb. (Interstat) — Jarvis Evans and Austin Klug combined for nine innings of three-hit, no-earned-run pitching as Purdue defeated Iowa 8-1 on Thursday afternoon at Sapp Fieldhouse in a Big Ten matchup.

Evans, the winner, worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Klug, who started, threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up three hits with two strikeouts. The Purdue bullpen did not allow a hit over the final four innings.

Purdue improved to 36-19 overall and remained tied atop the Big Ten standings. Iowa dropped to 30-23.

The Hawkeyes struck first in the top of the fourth inning when J. Frost singled to left field, advanced to second on the throw and drove in Risley, who had reached on a throwing error by third baseman Boyle. Iowa’s other five hits — singles by Wulf in the second, Strohmeyer in the third and sixth, Frost again in the fourth and Wulf again in the eighth — were scattered across the game and never produced a second run.

Purdue answered in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Bessette and Richmond drew walks against Iowa reliever Brolan Frost. Tyler Guerin replaced Frost, but Drake greeted him with a triple to right-center, scoring both runners. Drake then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Boyle, giving Purdue a 3-1 lead.

The Boilermakers broke the game open in the sixth. Richmond led off with a bunt single, and Drake followed with a single to center. Boyle’s sacrifice bunt scored Richmond, and after a wild pitch moved Drake and Boyle into scoring position, Manias doubled to left, driving in both runners to make it 6-1.

Purdue added a run in the seventh on Bessette’s RBI double down the right-field line that scored Flores, who had singled. The final run came in the eighth when Moore’s sacrifice fly to right scored Anderson, who had singled and advanced on a bunt single by Rogers and a single by Manias.

For Purdue, Drake finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Manias was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Bessette was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Rogers reached base three times, including twice on hit-by-pitches, and scored a run.

Iowa used seven pitchers. Starter Cole Moore threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts before being lifted for Brolan Frost. Guerin took the loss, allowing four earned runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Logan Runde and Ganon Archer also saw action. Archer pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The game was played on the heels of a three-game series between the teams in Iowa City the previous weekend, all won by the Hawkeyes — 10-7 on May 14, 14-5 on May 15 and 15-9 on May 16. Iowa had been swept in a three-game set at Nebraska on May 8-10 before splitting two midweek games against Illinois and Michigan State.

Purdue entered Thursday having won three of its last four, including a 3-1 win over Illinois on May 20. The Boilermakers had lost the previous two games to Iowa but have since bounced back.

Iowa’s offense managed just six hits, and three of those came from the middle of the order. Strohmeyer was 2-for-4 with a walk, and Wulf was 2-for-4. The bottom of the Hawkeyes’ lineup — positions five through nine — went 2-for-17.

Purdue outhit Iowa 10-6 and committed one error, while Iowa committed none. The Boilermakers also drew five walks and were hit by four pitches.

The game drew a paid attendance of 2,847 at the neutral-site venue in Omaha.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Purdue 7, Iowa 5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Iowa a 56.70 percent probability to win.