The Purdue Northwest softball team fell in their first two games of the Florida Spring on Thursday afternoon. The Pride fell in Game 1 against Indiana-Pennsylvania in a close match-up, 3-2, then were downed in Game 2 in a rematch with Minnesota-Duluth, 6-2.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (3-12), IUP (8-4), Minnesota-Duluth (20-8)
• Location: Legends Way Fields  – Clermont, Florida
• Attendance: 50

Game 1 - vs. Indiana-Pennsylvania
The Breakdown

• Sophomore Emma Fair (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) and Junior Olivia Hernandez (Aurora, Ill./Aurora Central Catholic) led the Pride with two hits each.
• Senior Darcy Barkauskas (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) added one hit and one RBI.
• Freshman Kylie Madura (Munster, Ind./Munster) chipped in one hit for Purdue Northwest.
• Freshman Jordyn Roop (Hudson, Ill./University) earned the start on the mound for the Pride in and pitched all seven innings for a great outing. She allowed three ones and struckout three batters.
• Three IUP players led the team with one hit and one RBI each.
• Hillegas started in the circle for the Crimson Hawks pitching seven innings for the complete game win allowing six hits, two runs, and notched two strikeouts.
• IUP grabbed the first run and lead of the game in the third inning going up 1-0.
• The Pride tied the game up 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning to make it 1-1.
• The Crimson Hawks regained the lead scoring two runs in the sixth inning with a 3-1 advantage.
• Purdue Northwest gained a run back off an RBI double from Barkauskas in the sixth to the deficit to 3-2.
• The Pride weren't able to get the tying or game-winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, ultimately falling in a hard-fought battle to kick-off the Florida games, 3-2.

Game 2 - Minnesota-Duluth
The Breakdown

• Fair and Madura each led the Pride with two hits.
• Freshman Giuliana Giordano (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) added one hit and two RBIs.
• Barkauskas and junior Grace Wilson (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) each chipped in one hit during the game.
• Freshman Rylan Gick (West Lafayette, Ind./William Henry Harrison) started in the circle for Pride and pitched the first three innings allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
• Freshman Abbey Bond (Saint John, Ind./Andrean) came in relief for Purdue Northwest pitching the final three innings allowing two runs and only two hits.
• Four different Minnesota-Duluth players led the team with one hit and one RBI each.
• Williams started on the mound for the Bulldogs and pitched all seven innings allowing two runs off seven hits with five strikeouts to tally the win.
• Duluth started the game grabbing the early 1-0 lead after the first inning.
• The Bulldogs scored three more runs in the third to grow their lead to 4-0.
• The Pride got two runs to cut their deficit to 4-2 in the fourth inning.
• Duluth took the two runs back in the fourth to bring the score back up to 6-2.
• Purdue Northwest couldn't get anymore offense going during the contest and would fall in the end, 6-2.

Up Next

• The Pride now compete in Day 2 of the 2025 Florida Spring Games when they take Bentley and Minnesota-Mankato on Friday, March 14 in Clermont, Florida.