BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – A barrage of 10 runs in the first two innings of Game 2 propelled the Purdue Northwest softball team to a 12-4 victory to salvage a split in Sunday's doubleheader at Ferris State.
PNW (16-6, 6-2 GLIAC) dropped Game 1 by a 4-1 score and now sits in second place in the GLIAC standings behind Grand Valley State, which split with Wayne State on Sunday and is mere percentage points ahead of PNW.
GAME 1: FERRIS STATE 4, PNW 1
Ferris St. (12-21, 3-7 GLIAC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first two innings of Game 1.
PNW had a chance to do some damage in the top of the second when
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) and
Madison Schultz (Lafayette, Ind./Faith Christian) each singled to center field to start the frame, but a groundout double play and a pop out ended the threat.
The Pride were finally able to crack the run column in the fourth inning by playing station-to-station softball when
Jocey Gault (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) singles to right field to plate
Selena Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central), who led off the inning with a single to center and advanced to third on groundouts by Arnold and Schultz.
Unfortunately for the PNW offense, no additional run support was added to cut into the Ferris State lead. The Bulldogs added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for the final 4-1 margin.
Five PNW batters collected a hit each with Gault's being the lone run-producing hit.
Amanda Noblett (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) earned a double to right in the seventh for the Pride's only extra-base hit of the game.
Gabby Paliska (Palos Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East (Wisconsin-Green Bay)) (5-2) took just her second loss of the season, going five innings giving up four runs on six hits and six walks while striking out a season-best eight.
Maddison Roop (Hudson, Ill./University) tossed the sixth inning in relief and gave up just one walk.
GAME 2: PNW 12, FERRIS STATE 4
Any thoughts of a Ferris State sweep were quickly negated when the Pride put up 10 runs in the first two innings of Game 2 en route to the 12-4 victory.
PNW's first five batters reached base, causing Ferris State's starting pitcher Aryn Gallacher to be chased from the circle without recording an out.
Aubrey Shroyer (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) led off the game being hit by the first pitch Gallacher threw.
Ashley Bravo (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) and Michko followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases.
With Arnold at the plate, Gallacher unleashed a wild pitch that advanced each runner to give PNW a 1-0 lead. Later in the at bat, Arnold belted a pitch to right field to bring in Bravo and Michko for the 3-0 lead. Schultz followed with a single to center to score Arnold from second and prompted the first of two pitching changes in the inning for the Bulldogs. Then, four consecutive walks brought in two more runs for a 6-0 PNW lead and the second pitching change of the frame.
Abbie May (LaSalle, Ill./Saint Bede Academy) got the start in Game 2 for head coach
Tristan Zink and was able to work out of a first inning jam without giving up a run. May gave up a pair of hits in the first three batters she faced before buckling down and getting consecutive fly outs to end the threat.
The PNW offense rode the momentum May garnered in the circle and raced out to a 10-0 lead with all four runs in the second inning coming with two outs. Noblett doubled to left to score Michko and was followed by a double to left from
Briana Poehler (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) to push across two more runs, prompting yet another Ferris State pitching change. Shroyer capped off the scoring with PNW's third double of the inning to bring in Poehler for the 10-0 lead.
Ferris State plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third and then prevented a run-rule defeat by tacking on another two runs in the fifth. The Bulldogs collected their only extra base hits in the game during the fifth to cut the deficit to 10-4.
Gault gained a run back for PNW in the top of the sixth when she singled to left with no outs to score Arnold. Schultz ended the scoring for the Pride in the top of the seventh with a run-scoring single to left allowing Michko to score her third run of the game.
May (6-1) earned her career-best sixth win of the season after tossing five innings and giving up four runs with two earned on 10 hits.
Emma Hill (Holmes Beach, Fla./Cary-Grove (IL)) hurled the final two innings and was nearly flawless in relief giving up just one hit against seven batters faced.
Schultz led the way offensively going 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Shroyer, Michko, Noblett and Poehler joined in the multi-hit parade by grabbing two each with Shroyer, Noblett and Poehler each collecting doubles. Arnold went 1 for 3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
Seven PNW batters drove in a run, nine collected hits, seven scored a run and seven drew a walk.
UP NEXT
PNW will return to Michigan on Tuesday when the Pride will get their first chance to take on Davenport to make up for the previously postponed series from March 26. First pitch for Game 1 of the doubleheader from the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex in Caledonia, Michigan, is scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT.
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.
