KENOSHA, Wis. – The Purdue Northwest softball team split Tuesday's road doubleheader at Parkside with a 13-1 victory in Game 1, before falling 7-3 in the second game.
PNW improved to 20-10 (10-6 GLIAC) and clinched the season series over the Rangers, three games to one. Parkside moved to 7-31 (3-13 GLIAC) on the year.
GAME 1: PURDUE NORTHWEST 13, PARKSIDE 1 (6 inn.)
PNW plated 11 runs combined over the final three innings to run-rule the Rangers in six innings.
A balanced attack was led by
Amanda Noblett's (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) 3-for-3 showing while
Selena Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) (2 for 3, 2 HR, 6 RBI),
Madison Schultz (Lafayette, Ind./Faith Christian) (2 for 3, HR) and
Briana Poehler (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) (2 for 3) each recorded a pair of hits. The Pride outslugged Parkside 14-6 in the contest with two runs in the second, three in the fourth, one in the fifth and seven in the sixth.
The offensive outburst in the final inning was highlighted by back-to-back home runs with a grand slam from Michko and solo blast from Schultz.
Michko homered twice in the game – the grand slam in the sixth came after a two-run shot in the second inning to help the Pride overcome an early 1-0 hole. Michko set a new team record after hitting a home run in four consecutive games. She also set a new PNW softball record for most RBIs in a game with six in Tuesday's opener.
Abbie May (LaSalle, Ill./Saint Bede Academy) picked up her team-leading eighth win in the circle and improved to 8-1 on the season. The right-hander tossed her fifth complete game and tied her season-high with five strikeouts. She allowed just one run on six hits and one walk.
The Pride led 5-1 after four innings following RBI knocks from
Kelsi Dillon (Braidwood, Ill./Reed-Custer (Georgian Court)) and
Aubrey Shroyer (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon). Then, Noblett's RBI single in the fifth made it 6-1 before the big inning. After the back-to-back home runs made it 11-1,
Kiara Negron (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) notched a pinch-hit, two-run single to reach the final score.
Parkside's Kiley Akey took the loss in the circle (5-14) after giving up five earned runs on eight hits in three-and-a-third.
GAME 2: PARKSIDE 7, PURDUE NORTHWEST 3
Parkside responded to Michko's game-tying RBI single in the sixth as the Rangers pushed across four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Michko went 2 for 3 in the nightcap and produced a pair of runs, finishing the day with eight RBIs combined in the doubleheader.
With the score tied 3-3, Akey cleared the bases on a two-out double to the left-center gap. She battled PNW starter
Gabby Paliska (Palos Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East (Wisconsin-Green Bay)) by fouling off five straight pitches during an 0-2 count. Taylor Delgado's triple in the next at-bat made it 7-3 Parkside. The Pride tried to get a rally started when Noblett led off the top of the seventh with a double to the fence in right field, but she was thrown out on a close play at third while trying to extend the hit to a triple.
Like the first game, PNW overcame an early 1-0 deficit with two runs in the next at-bat. The Rangers' Alex Wooten homered in the third to make it 1-0, but Michko's single in the fourth brought home
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) and
Jocey Gault (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) to give the Pride a 2-1 advantage.
Akey, who was responsible for five of the seven Ranger runs, recorded a two-run home run in the fifth to put Parkside back in front 3-2 before Michko's clutch hit in the sixth.
Paliska (5-5) was tagged with the loss, throwing five-and-two-thirds in the circle with five strikeouts and two walks. She only allowed two base knocks until the fifth inning and fell victim to timely hitting as the Rangers registered five hits with two outs.
Montana Martinez (Calumet City, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) went 2 for 3 with her first multi-hit game of the season. Shroyer's leadoff single to start the game extended her reached-base streak to 10. Arnold and Noblett each posted a double while Gault recorded a base knock.
Tijanne Ross earned her second win in the circle for the Rangers with two earned runs allowed on eight hits. She struck out four and walked one batter.
UP NEXT
PNW travels to Romeoville, Illinois tomorrow where it will battle Lewis (20-20) in a non-conference doubleheader. Game 1 against the Flyers is slated for 1 p.m. CDT at Lewis Softball Field.
The Pride will return home this weekend for league doubleheaders against Ferris State (Sat.) and Northwood (Sun.).
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.
