On Saturday, the Purdue Northwest baseball team faced off against Kentucky Wesleyan for a doubleheader, where the Pride dropped both games by scores of 2-5 and 7-11.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (1-2), Kentucky Wesleyan (5-5)
• Location: Owensboro, Kentucky
• Non-conference doubleheader game.

The Breakdown
GAME ONE – L (2-5) 7 Innings

• Mitchell Stanton (South Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) started on the mound for Purdue Northwest, throwing 3.1 innings while striking out two.
• Ethan Imlach (Mokena, Ill./Mount Carmel), Aj Reid, Kam Earley (/), Tyler Schultz (Hobart, Ind./), Dan Puplava (Portage, Ind./Portage), Jax Kalemba (Chicago, Ill./Andrean), and Drake Ballard (Louisville, Ky./Martha Laynes Collins) all contributed hits for the Pride.
• R. Dysholm led Kentucky Wesleyan with a hit and an RBI.
• E. Oakley started and threw six innings, striking out five for the Panthers.
• The game began as a defensive battle, with both teams holding each other scoreless through the first two innings. Kentucky Wesleyan broke through in the third when R. Dysholm singled to right field, bringing in L. Hutson for the first run of the game.
• Kentucky Wesleyan extended their lead in the fourth, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch and fielder's choice to bring in additional runs. A wild pitch in the fifth allowed them to add another, making it 5-0.
• Purdue Northwest fought back in the later innings, getting on the board in the sixth after D. Puplava reached on an error, allowing A. Reid to score. Another run crossed the plate in the seventh on a wild pitch, but the Pride was unable to complete the comeback.

GAME TWO – L (7-11) 7 Innings

• Dan Puplava (Portage, Ind./Portage) led the Pride with three hits and four RBIs.
• AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) contributed two hits and an RBI.
• Blake Newell (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) started on the mound for Purdue Northwest, throwing three innings while striking out four.
• C. Perry led Kentucky Wesleyan with three hits and two RBIs.
• Kentucky Wesleyan struck first in the opening inning when L. Molnar scored on a caught stealing attempt. A disastrous second inning for the Pride saw the Panthers take advantage of errors and key hits, bringing in six runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
• Purdue Northwest responded in the third when AJ Reid (Highland, Ind./Highland) singled to left field, driving in a run. D. Puplava followed with a two-run single, cutting the deficit to 7-3. In the fourth, E. Imlach added another RBI single to bring the Pride closer.
• However, Kentucky Wesleyan put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth, adding four more runs, including a two-run single by C. Perry. Despite a late rally in the seventh, with Puplava driving in two more runs and B. Matthys adding a sacrifice fly, the deficit was too great to overcome.

Up Next:
The Pride will return to action on March 2nd in Owensboro, Kentucky, for the final game of the series against Kentucky Wesleyan. First pitch is set for 11:00 AM CT.