HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue University Northwest softball team dropped two decisions to Cornerstone University Tuesday afternoon.
The Pride (10-10) lost the first game 5-3, before dropping a 6-2 contest to the Golden Eagles (5-11) in the nightcap.
Game 1: Cornerstone 5, PNW 3
Cornerstone would take an early 3-0 advantage in the first inning, but the Pride would tack on a run in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI-single from Olivia Sardella (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) that drove in Allyson Leach (DeMotte, Ind./North Newton).
The Golden Eagles would get that run back in the top of the third inning on an RBI-single from Rachel Younts to take a 4-1 lead over the Pride.
Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) would drive in Sardella in the fourth inning to cut in to the Pride's deficit, but Cornerstone would answer again in the top of the fifth to make it 5-2.
PNW would score one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI-single from Payne, but the Golden Eagles would hold the Pride scoreless for the rest of the game to take the Game 1 victory.
Caroline Brown (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community) pitched a complete game for the Black and Gold, allowing just three hits and one earned run with three strikeouts.
Game 2: Cornerstone 6, PNW 2
After the Golden Eagles took a 4-0 lead heading in to the third inning, PNW would tack on a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, thanks to a 2-RBI single from Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) that scored Haley Loden Crown Point, Ind./Lake Central) and Emily Cole (Frankfurt, Ill./Lincoln Way North).
Cornerstone would add two more runs in the sixth inning, which propelled them to the 6-2 victory.
Lauren Maynard (Griffith, Ind./Griffith), Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) Pagan and Loden all led the Pride with two hits apiece.
Pagan pitched a complete game for the Pride, allowing four earned runs while striking out eight.
The Black and Gold return to action Friday, Mar. 24, when the host Aquinas College in a doubleheader at Dowling Park starting at 3 p.m. (CT).
