ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Purdue Northwest softball team smashed six home runs en route to a 14-9 victory over 10th-ranked Grand Valley State to earn a doubleheader split on Tuesday after dropping the first game to the Lakers, 6-3, at GVSU Softball Field. The Pride's six home runs are tied for the second-most in a game this season by a Division II team (Colorado Christian, UVa-Wise, Lubbock Christian).
The victory for the Pride (11-5, 1-1 GLIAC) was just the second in program history over GVSU, the first win in Allendale and ended an eight-game losing streak to the Lakers. PNW previous win over GVSU was a 7-6 decision on April 10, 2019, at Dowling Park in Hammond, Indiana. The Pride lost two of four matchups against GVSU last season by just one run.
It also marked the second win over a ranked opponent since head coach
Tristan Zink took over the PNW softball program. The Pride defeated then-ranked No. 13 UIndy at home last season in a 7-5 decision at Dowling Park.
The offensive spark that got the Pride started in Game 2 came off the bat of
Selena Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) when she deposited a two-out blast over the center-field fence to put PNW up 2-0.
Madison Schultz (Lafayette, Ind./Faith Christian) stepped up to the plate next and answered Michko with a home run of her own for the first of two back-to-back home runs for the Pride.
GVSU (16-3, 1-1 GLVC) got a run back in the bottom of the second before PNW took a 6-1 lead in the third by way of a two-run home run by
Jocey Gault (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) that was immediately followed by Michko's second long ball of the game.
The Lakers notched a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the PNW lead down to 6-3. The three-run lead would remain until the top of the fifth when Schultz blasted a one-out, 1-1 pitch over the right-center fence for her second home run of the game for an 8-3 Pride lead.
Briana Poehler (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) followed Schultz with a single then advanced to third on an
Aubrey Shroyer (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) double. Poehler would later score on a wild pitch just before Shroyer made it 10-3 when she crossed the plate on a RBI ground out off the bat of
Amanda Noblett (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central).
When the Lakers scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Pride stood tall and added four more in the top of the sixth.
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) got the sixth-inning scoring going when she obliterated a pitch over the left center fence to also score Bravo, who led off the inning with a walk. The home run for Arnold was her first of the game but the second of the day. She sent the first pitch she saw in the first game to deep left-center field.
Gault and Michko then drew walks and were eventually brought around to score for a 14-6 PNW lead by way of a Poehler ground out and a Shroyer single, respectively.
Grand Valley notched a run in the bottom of the sixth and then tallied a pair in the bottom of the seventh for the final 14-9 margin.
Five PNW batters earned two hits each including Bravo, Arnold, Michko, Schultz and Shroyer.
Michko and Schultz drove in three each, while Arnold and Gault each produced a pair of runs.
Gabby Paliska (Palos Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East (Wisconsin-Green Bay)) (4-1) picked up the win in the circle going five innings and giving up six runs, with five being earned, as well as three walks while striking out three.
Abbie May (LaSalle, Ill./Saint Bede Academy) hurled the final two innings of the game giving up six hits and three earned runs.
Game 1 saw the Pride jump out to a quick 1-0 lead thanks to Arnold hitting her first home run of the day.
Grand Valley took a 2-1 lead after the bottom of the second and saw the Pride claw their way back into a 2-2 tie when
Kelsi Dillon (Braidwood, Ill./Reed-Custer (Georgian Court)) singled to left field to score Arnold.
The PNW bats went silent over the fifth and sixth innings against All-American pitcher Hannah Beatus (7-1) as the Lakers jolted out to a 6-2 lead.
PNW got a run back in the top of the seventh when Shroyer reached on an error and Gault scampered in from third to cut it down to 6-3. PNW would load the bases with two outs to put the tying run on first, but a fly out to left field ended the game.
Maddison Roop (Hudson, Ill./University) (2-2) took the loss for the Pride as she gave up four runs with two being earned on eight hits and a pair of walks and strikeouts in four innings. May tossed the final two innings, giving up two runs with one earned on four hits and striking out three.
UP NEXT
PNW will finally get to open the home portion of their schedule with a pair of GLIAC doubleheaders this weekend when the Pride welcome in Wayne State on Saturday and Saginaw Valley State on Sunday. First pitch from Dowling Park is scheduled for noon each day.
FOLLOW THE PRIDE
For all the latest information on Purdue Northwest Softball, please visit PNWathletics.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Pride (@pnwathletics / @PNWSoftball) on Twitter. You can also find the Pride on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
