Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Taylor Stevens and Courtney Blackwell used outstanding performances in Purdue Northwest's season opener to take down Lake Erie College 8-0 in the Midwest Region Crossover. It marked the first victory for head coach Tristan Wilcox.

PNW would later drop a 9-0 decision to Trevecca Nazarene in Friday's second game to start the season 1-1.

Stevens went 3 for 4 in the opener with two homeruns, a double, two runs scored and four RBIs.

Blackwell was masterful in the circle allowing just one Lake Erie hit and striking out four. The lone Lake Erie hit came in the first at-bat, while Blackwell retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced.

PNW got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Kara Aloisio laced a hit into left field to drive in Jessica Weaver.

The Pride would notch two more runs in the inning thanks to a Jocelyn Gault RBI double to center field and Amanda Noblett's RBI single to left field.

Then, Stevens led off the bottom of the third with her first homer of the young season to give PNW a 4-0 lead.

The fifth inning was a mirror image of the third as Stevens led off with another solo blast that put the Pride up 5-0.

After Blackwell got her third 1-2-3 inning of the game in the sixth, the PNW offense sealed the win with three runs in the bottom of the frame. The first run scored on a throwing error by Lake Erie's catcher before Stevens would end it in walk-off fashion with a two-run double to score Montana Martinez and Aubrey Shroyer.

NEXT UP
The Pride will return to action at the Midwest Region Crossover at Evansville's Deaconess Sports Park on Saturday with games against Kentucky Wesleyan and Lake Erie. First pitch against KWC is slated for noon CST and then at 2 p.m. CST against Lake Erie.