Clermont, Fla. – Juniors Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) and Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) both had impressive days at the plate as the Purdue Northwest softball team split the first two games of its Florida trip Monday afternoon as part of the PFX Spring Games at Legends Way Fields in Clermont, Fla. The Pride took down Saint Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) in the first game, but fell 9-8 in the late game with University of Indianapolis.
Kotzo combined to go 3-for-6 with a double, two homers, four runs scored and five RBI. Steffens was nearly just as amazing going 4-for-7 with a double, a grand slam, two runs scored and five RBI. Senior Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) improved her season record to 1-1 with the victory in Monday's first game. Pagan threw the first five innings and allowed just five hits, three runs (none earned) and a walk with three strikeouts. Freshman Courtney Blackwell (Whiting, Ind./Whiting) earned the save (1) pitching the final two frames and giving up just a walk with one strikeout.
Saint Thomas Aquinas opened the game with a two-run single to left field in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly by senior Samme Miller (North Salem, Ind./Tri-West) in the bottom half of the first brought PNW to within a run, 2-1. A fielding error by the Pride helped plate a run for STA in the second inning to extend its lead to 3-1. However, the rest of the game belonged to Purdue Northwest as eight unanswered runs over the next four innings allowed the Black & Gold to pull away for good.
Kotzo hit a two-run shot to left field in the fourth inning to spark the offensive surge. She added another two-run homer in the fifth inning, while junior Zoee Anderson (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Jefferson) notched a two-run single to left field in the sixth to help the cause. Senior Kyleigh Payne (Bourbonnais, Ill./Kankakee CC/Bishop McNamara) and sophomore Taylor Mendenhall (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) both hit RBI singles for the Pride during the key stretch as well.
Things looked promising early for PNW in the late game against UIndy after scoring six runs in the top of the first inning. A grand slam to centerfield by Steffens fueled the fast start. The Greyhounds added a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, but the Pride got the run back to go up, 7-1, in the top of the third on a RBI single to left field by Steffens.
Unfortunately for Purdue Northwest, UIndy scored six runs in the top of the third off five hits and a pair of errors to tie the game. Miller gave the Pride an 8-7 lead in the top of the fourth with a RBI single up the middle, but a two-run homer by the Greyhounds in the fifth proved to be the difference. Blackwell suffered the loss (3-3) in relief throwing the final four frames and allowing six hits, four runs (two earned) and a walk with one strikeout.
Purdue Northwest (6-5 overall) keeps playing at the PFX Spring Games on Tuesday, March 13, with two more games. The Pride take on Minnesota-Crookston at 2 p.m. CT and then match up with Illinois-Springfield for a night game at 7 p.m. CT.
