HAMMOND, Ind. – In their final home games at Fifth Third Bank Field at Dowling Park, seniors Samme Miller (North Salem, Ind./St. Joseph's College/Tri-West), Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and Kyleigh Payne (Bourbonnais, Ill./Kankakee CC/Bishop McNamara) made a statement as the Purdue Northwest softball team split a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) games with Wayne State University (Mich.) Sunday in Hammond, Ind. The Pride won the first game, 3-1, and nearly pulled off a huge rally win in game two scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings before falling 10-6.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead early in game one scoring a run on a walk with the bases loaded. However, a solo homer to left field by Pagan in the bottom of the second inning tied the game. After three scoreless innings, Purdue Northwest took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly by junior Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) followed by a throwing error by Wayne State to bring home another run. Freshman Courtney Blackwell (Whiting, Ind./Whiting) earned the victory (6-7) throwing all seven innings and allowing eight hits, one run (earned) and two walks with four strikeouts.
In the late game, the Warriors scored a run in the top of the first again on a RBI single to take an early 1-0 lead. A RBI double by Kotzo to centerfield tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. However, WSU scored three runs in the top of the fifth with RBI on a fielder's choice, a groundout and a single to left field. Wayne State went up, 5-1, in the top of the sixth with a RBI double down the left field line.
The Pride came up huge in the bottom of the seventh scoring four runs off a two-run double down the left field line by Payne followed by a two-run homer down the right field line by Pagan to tie the game. PNW had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but the Warriors made a great defensive play to turn a double play with the bases loaded and force extra innings.
WSU scored five runs in the top of the eighth behind a two-run double and a pair of RBI singles to take the lead for good, 10-5. Payne hit a solo shot over the wall in left centerfield in the bottom half of the eighth, but that was as close as it would get as the Pride fell in game two, 10-6. Freshman Samantha Burgard (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) got the start in the second game and pitched five innings giving up seven hits and four runs (all earned) with a strikeout. Junior Mia Stevens (Rensselaer, Ind/South Suburban CC/Kankakee Valley) suffered the loss (7-5) throwing the final three frames and allowing eight hits, six runs (four earned) and no walks with two strikeouts.
Purdue Northwest (22-19 overall/12-12 GLIAC) continues conference play on Monday, April 23, with a road doubleheader against Saginaw Valley State University (Mich.). The first game of the pair is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT start at the SVSU Softball Complex in University Center, Mich.
