The Purdue Northwest Softball team continued action at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games on Saturday evening in Florida, earning a dominant doubleheader sweep in Melbourne. The Pride defeated Saint Michael's 9-2 behind a dominant pitching performance from senior Hailie Charmat (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) before rolling past Mercy in five innings, 11-3.
The Basics
- Records: Purdue Northwest (11-7), Saint Michael's (0-3), Mercy (0-3)
- Location: Melbourne, Florida
- Attendance: 60
Game 1
The Breakdown
- Charmat delivered a dominant performance in the circle, striking out a career-high 14 batters while allowing just one hit and two runs (one earned run) across a complete-game effort.
- Purdue Northwest produced 15 hits in the victory, with six different players recording multiple-hit performances.
- Senior Amanda DeBoer (Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian) led the offense with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Freshman Charli Westerfield (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville Community) finished with two hits and scored three runs, including a triple during the contest.
- Junior Emma Fair (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) collected two hits and two RBIs, while junior Kylie Dugan (Buck Creek, Ind./William Henry Harrison) added two hits and a stolen base.
- Sophomore's Kylie Madura (Munster, Ind./Munster) recorded two hits, while senior Olivia Hernandez (Aurora, Ill./Aurora Central Catholic) and junior Hannah Rafferty-Flatter (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South) both added RBIs.
- The Pride wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning.
- DeBoer opened the scoring with an RBI single before freshman Gracie Jensen (Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) followed with an RBI double to left center. Jensen later stole home during a rundown to extend the early lead to 3-0.
- Saint Michael's answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 3-1.
- PNW added two more runs in the third inning when Jensen drew an RBI walk and Fair followed with an RBI single to push the advantage to 5-1.
- Saint Michael's scored again in the fourth on an RBI single from Emma Nordahl, but Charmat quickly settled back in and continued to pile up strikeouts.
- The Pride broke the game open in the fifth inning as DeBoer delivered an RBI double before Fair and Hernandez added RBI singles to stretch the lead to 8-2.
- PNW added one more insurance run in the seventh when Rafferty-Flatter singled up the middle to bring home Adelmann and cap the 9-2 victory.
Game 2
The Breakdown
- The Pride offense stayed hot in the nightcap, collecting 14 hits while scoring 11 runs in a five-inning run-rule victory over Mercy.
- Dugan paced the offense with two hits, two runs scored and a stolen base.
- Westerfield added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, while Jensen finished with two hits and two RBIs.
- Fair drove in two runs on a single during the explosive second inning.
- Freshman Sylvia Mudis (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) recorded two hits, including a double and a triple, while also scoring twice.
- Sophomore Jadyn Ramer (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) and junior Madison Ecker (Shiloh, Ill./O'Fallon Township) each added RBIs as part of the balanced offensive effort.
- Sophomore Kendra Steinberg (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) earned the win in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits across four innings.
- Sophomore Jordyn Roop (Hudson, Ill./University) closed out the game with a scoreless fifth inning and one strikeout.
- Purdue Northwest opened the scoring in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from DeBoer that brought home Westerfield.
- The Pride broke the game open in the second inning with a six-run outburst.
- Ramer began the rally with an RBI single before Dugan followed with an RBI hit through the left side. Jensen then delivered a two-run single down the third base line before Fair capped the inning with a two-run single to give PNW a 7-0 lead.
- Two more runs crossed in the third inning as Dugan advanced to third on a stolen base and later scored on a Mercy error before Westerfield lifted a sacrifice fly to extend the advantage to 9-0.
- PNW added another run in the fourth inning when Ecker singled down the first base line to bring home Mudis.
- Mercy attempted a late rally in the fifth inning with three runs on a pair of RBI singles.
- The Pride answered immediately in the bottom half as DeBoer delivered an RBI single to score Westerfield and secure the 11-3 run-rule victory.
Up Next
- Purdue Northwest continues play at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games on Monday with two more games in Melbourne, Florida starting at 9:00 AM CT.