HAMMOND, Ind. – The Purdue University softball team split Sunday's doubleheader with Saginaw Valley State University, falling in Game 1, 4-3 before earning the 11-3 victory in the nightcap.

Game 1: Saginaw Valley State 4, PNW 3

After the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) connected on her third home run of the weekend, which scored Taylor Mendenhall (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) to put the Pride ahead 2-1.

SVSU would tie the game in the top of the sixth, before taking the lead in the seventh inning, 4-3.

Amanda Noblett (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) would drive in Ashley Bravo (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) on a double to left field to put the Pride within one, but the Cardinals would prevent the Pride from scoring the tying run, coming away with the 4-3 win.

Game 2: PNW 11, Saginaw Valley State 3 (6 innings)

SVSU would take an early 2-0 advantage, but the Pride would get one back in the bottom of first thanks to an RBI-double from Madi Schultz (Lafayette, Ind./Faith Christian) that plated Zoee Anderson (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Jefferson) to make it 2-1.

The Cardinals would get that run back in the third, but PNW would answer back with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-3 lead. 

Purdue Northwest continued to tack on runs in the fourth inning, after a 3-RBI home run from Taylor Kotzo (Munster, Ind./Munster) made it 9-3 in favor of the Pride. 

Schultz would connect on a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth followed by another RBI-single from Steffens to increase the Prides lead, eventually leading them to an 11-3 win.

Bravo claimed her third win of the season, throwing a complete six innings of work with three strike outs.

PNW returns to action Wednesday, April 10, when they host Grand Valley State at Dowling Park starting at 3:30 pm (CST).