BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Purdue University Northwest softball team split Wednesday's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Ferris State, earning a 10-0 victory in Game 1 before falling in the nightcap, 9-0.

Game 1: Purdue Northwest 10, Ferris State 0

The Pride jumped on the scoreboard early thanks to an RBI-double from Kalyn Learnard (Fairmount, Ill/Catlin) that scored Heather O'Kelly (Worth, Ill./Shepard) to give the Pride a 1-0 lead. 

A defensive miscue from the Bulldogs and an RBI-single from Taylor Mendenhall (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) extended the Prides lead to 4-0.

PNW added on a pair of runs in the top half of the second, thanks to an RBI-double from Zoee Anderson (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Jefferson) followed by another RBI single from Mendenhall that increased their lead to 6-0.

Mendenhall continued her excellence at the plate with another RBI-single to center field to start off a 4-run inning in the top of the fourth.

Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) brought in Madison Schultz (Lafayette, Ind./Faith Christian) and Mendenhall followed by an RBI-single from Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) to give the Pride a 10-0 lead which would be the final.

Sophomore Courtney Blackwell (Whiting, Ind./Whiting) was dominant in the circle, throwing five innings and allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.

Game 2: Ferris State 9, Purdue Northwest 0 

Ferris State took a 1-0 advantage early on in the first inning and added three more in the bottom of the third to take a 4-0 lead.

The Bulldogs bats came alive in the fourth when they scored five runs and took a 9-0 advantage. 

PNW was unable to get a run across as the Bulldogs came away with the 9-0 victory. 

Purdue Northwest will complete the rest of the second game, which was suspended due to darkness against Ashland Friday afternoon at 5pm (CST), and host Wayne State Saturday afternoon at 1pm (CST).