CALEDONIA, Mich. — Purdue Northwest split Tuesday's softball doubleheader against Davenport with a 4-1 victory in the opener and 9-7 setback to the Panthers in Game 2 at The Farmer's Insurance Athletic Complex.
PNW moved to 17-7 overall on the season and stands in second place in the league standings with a 7-3 GLIAC ledger. Davenport improved to 13-17 (5-7 GLIAC) after salvaging the split.
GAME 1: PURDUE NORTHWEST 4, DAVENPORT 1
Maddison Roop (Hudson, Ill./University) (4-2) scattered four hits and only allowed two runners to move past second base in the complete-game effort inside the circle. The sophomore right-hander picked up her fourth win and lowered her ERA to 2.46 after giving up just one run in Tuesday's opener.
PNW broke the scoreless tie on
Kara Aloisio's (North Aurora, Ill./Yorkville) sacrifice fly in the third inning, and the Pride tacked on three additional runs in the sixth.
Selena Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) and
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) recorded back-to-back singles, before a throwing error allowed a run to cross to put the Pride ahead 2-0.
Jocey Gault (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) followed with a two-run single through the left side for a 4-0 advantage.
Davenport got a run back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to prevent the shutout.
The Pride outhit the Panthers 8-4 in the first contest as Arnold and Gault produced multi-hit efforts at the dish. Aloisio, Michko,
Aubrey Shroyer (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) and
Ashley Bravo (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) each collected a base knock. Michko, who is this week's GLIAC Player of the Week, extended her reached-base streak to 10 consecutive games.
DU's Emma Miller (7-8) suffered the loss as the left-hander went five-and-a-third with three earned runs charged against her.
GAME 2: DAVENPORT 9, PURDUE NORTHWEST 7
Davenport overcame a 7-2 deficit with seven unearned runs, including two in the fifth and five in the sixth, to earn the Tuesday split.
PNW jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second after RBI knocks from
Briana Poehler (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) and
Aubrey Shroyer (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) highlighted a four-hit, four-run inning. Poehler, Shroyer and
Ashley Bravo (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) each had two hits in the contest.
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) and
Kirsta Wright (Casa Grande, Ariz./Casa Grande Union (Central Arizona CC)) both recorded a double.
The Panthers got on the board with a pair in the third to trim the deficit down to two, but the Pride got those back in the next inning. Wright's RBI double made it 5-2 and she later crossed on a first-and-third play to extend the lead to 6-2.
Poehler's second run-producing hit of the game made it 7-2 in the fifth.
However, Davenport would rally with five of their eight hits coming in the sixth inning which led to the five unearned runs. The Panthers capitalized on a two-out error by stringing together four straight singles and grabbed the 9-7 advantage.
Gabby Paliska (Palos Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East (Wisconsin-Green Bay)) was dealt the hard-luck loss, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Both teams combined for eight errors in the nightcap with five committed by Davenport and three by the Pride.
UP NEXT
PNW continues the road swing with a pair of GLIAC doubleheaders this weekend. The Pride will travel to Saginaw Valley State on Friday and Wayne State on Saturday.
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.
