HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue Northwest swept Wayne State in Sunday's doubleheader by the same score in both games, 9-1, at RUSH Physical Therapy Field.
With the pair of wins, PNW tied its program record for most GLIAC victories (15) and finished the regular season at 26-16 overall. The Pride have already clinched its first winning season in the team's Division II era as the squad enters postseason play. The conference tournament begins Friday in Sandusky, Ohio and the Pride are currently fifth in the GLIAC standings. PNW could slide up to the fourth seed if Davenport loses both games of tomorrow's doubleheader against Parkside.
GAME 1: Purdue Northwest 9, Wayne State 1 (5 inn.)
PNW blasted its way out of a funk at the plate with four home runs in the first game. The Pride had combined for just three total home runs over the previous 11 games. It's tied for the second-most homers in a game behind the team record of six set earlier this season.
Selena Michko (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) (2 for 2, BB, 3 RBI) homered twice – her second multi-home run outing of the season – including back-to-back jacks with
Jocey Gault (West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) (1 for 3) in the fifth inning. Michko leads the GLIAC and continues to add to her school single-season record with 14 home runs.
The Pride scored five runs in the fifth to end the game early.
Briana Poehler (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) (1 for 2, 2 RBI) plated two runs on a single through the left side and
Aubrey Shroyer's (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) double to center ended it.
Michko homered in her first at-bat to put the Pride ahead 2-0, while Shroyer (2 for 4, 3 RBI) went deep in the fourth on another two-run blast.
Starter
Gabby Paliska (Palos Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East (Wisconsin-Green Bay)) didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning after retiring the first 11 batters she faced. The right-hander struck out three and allowed one earned run on three hits. She improved to 8-6 on the season.
Wayne State's lone run scored on a groundout in the top of the fifth. The Pride outhit the Warriors 7-3 in the opening contest.
GAME 2: Purdue Northwest 9, Wayne State 1 (6 inn.)
PNW scored three in the second and four in the third to jump out to an early 7-1 lead. The Warriors scored on Rylie Josephson's solo home run in the third.
An RBI ground out from
Montana Martinez (Calumet City, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) made it 8-1 in the fifth and Michko delivered the walk-off run in the sixth on a double down the left-field line.
Michko went 2 for 4 while Gault and
Allison Arnold (Tucson, Ariz./Naperville North) both went 2 for 3 at the dish. Arnold, Martinez and Michko each produced two runs in the second contest.
Amanda Noblett (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) added an RBI single to contribute to the scoring as the Pride outhit the Warriors 10-3 in the nightcap.
Starter
Emma Hill (Holmes Beach, Fla./Cary-Grove (IL)) allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out three and walking three. She improved to 4-3 in the circle after her fourth complete game.
UP NEXT
PNW will await the final games in the GLIAC to be completed on Monday before receiving official word on the team's first-round matchup at the league tournament on Friday.
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.
