On Sunday the Purdue Northwest Baseball team kicked off their Florida spring trip by taking in Florida Tech in a doubleheader. The Pride would end up sweeping the day taking game one 6-4, and game two 5-0.
The Basics
•   Records: Purdue Northwest (7-1), Kentucky Wesleyan (10-10)
•   Location: Viera, Florida (USSSA Space Coast)
•   Attendance: 150
•   Doubleheader vs. Florida Tech
Game One – W, 6-4 (7 Innings)
The Breakdown:
•   Freshman
Aden Johnson () led the Pride with two hits and an RBI.
•   Junior
Dan Puplava () and Junior
Cole Olson (Stanton, Mich./Central Montcalm) each had a hit and contributed two RBIs each.
•   Sophomore
Conor Pangburn (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) started on the mound for Purdue Northwest throwing six innings and striking out five.
•   M. Burke led Florida Tech with one hit and two RBIs.
•   J. Beck Started for Florida Tech and threw three innings striking out four.
•   In the second inning, The Pride faced a setback with a one-run deficit, but a swift recovery in the third inning, marked by impactful hits from Olson and Matulich, allowed them to secure three runs.
•   The momentum continued in the fifth inning as Johnson's left-field single brought Montgomery home, adding another run for The Pride.
•   Despite Florida Tech adding a run in the sixth, The Pride responded strongly in the seventh, scoring two more runs.
•   homerun from Florida Tech in the seventh narrowed the gap, but The Pride held their ground, securing a 6-4 victory with solid defense and well-timed outs.
Game Two – W, 5-0 (7 Innings)
•   Junior
Dan Puplava () and Junior
Beldon Glasgow (Markle, Ind./Norwell) led the Pride with two hits and two RBIs each.
•   Senior
Luke Montgomery (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence High School) also contributed a hit and two RBIs.
•   Freshman
Blake Newell (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) started on the mound for the Pride throwing 4.2 innings striking out two.
•   M. Burke led Florida Tech with two hits.Â
•   D. Dieguez started and threw 3.2 innings striking out three for Florida Tech.
•   Continuing their momentum from the previous game, The Pride wasted no time, scoring two runs in the second inning with a powerful double from Puplave and a well-placed single by Glasgow.
• The offensive display persisted in the fourth inning, with The Pride adding three more runs to their tally. In the seventh,
Joe Tor (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) took the mound, delivering a stellar performance with three consecutive outs, including two impressive strikeouts.
• The result was a decisive 5-0 victory for The Pride over Florida Tech.
Up Next
The Pride are set to return to the field on Sunday, March 12th, at 5:00 PM in St. Petersburg, Florida to take on Eckerd College.Â
Â
