The Purdue Northwest baseball team closed out its series against Roosevelt with a dominant doubleheader sweep Monday afternoon, earning a 10-5 victory in game one before outlasting the Lakers in a high-scoring 13-12 walk-off win in the finale at Laborers' Local 41 Field.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (11-15), Roosevelt (9-22)
• Location: Hammond, Indiana
• Conference: GLIAC Conference games

The Breakdown
Game 1: W (10-5) (7 Innings)

• Purdue Northwest showed resilience in the opener, overcoming an early deficit before taking full control with a decisive middle-inning surge.
• Roosevelt struck quickly, plating four runs in the first inning and adding another in the second to take a 5-3 lead. The Pride answered in the bottom of the first when Drew Kosteba (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) delivered a bases-clearing double to bring in three runs and immediately keep Purdue Northwest within striking distance.
• After a scoreless stretch through the third inning, the Pride began to chip away in the fourth. Joey Guiliano (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) came through with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-4, shifting momentum back toward Purdue Northwest.
• The turning point came in the fifth inning, where the Pride's offense erupted for five runs on timely hitting and patience at the plate. Gabe Bush (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) sparked the rally with a triple and later scored to tie the game. Joey Guiliano (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) followed with a clutch two-run double to give Purdue Northwest its first lead of the game, and Billy Chidsey (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) extended the advantage with a two-run single to make it 9-5.
• Purdue Northwest continued to apply pressure in the sixth, adding an insurance run as Guiliano delivered another RBI extra-base hit to extend the lead to 10-5.
• On the mound, Preston Burton (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) was outstanding in relief, stabilizing the game after the early innings. He shut down the Roosevelt lineup over the final five innings, allowing just four hits while keeping the Lakers off the scoreboard and preserving the lead. The Pride defense also turned two key double plays to help maintain control late in the game.

 
Game 2: W (13-12) (9 Innings)
 

• The nightcap turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with Purdue Northwest ultimately prevailing in walk-off fashion to complete the sweep.
• The Pride wasted no time getting on the board, scoring five runs in the first inning. The rally was fueled by aggressive baserunning and capitalizing on Roosevelt miscues, with multiple players contributing RBI hits to build an early cushion.
• Purdue Northwest added to its lead in the third and fourth innings, including a solo home run from Billy Chidsey (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point), to take a 7-3 advantage. However, Roosevelt responded with a massive six-run sixth inning, stringing together hits and taking advantage of opportunities to flip the score and go ahead 9-7.
• The Pride answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning. Zach Wright (Munster, Ind./Munster) delivered a key RBI single, and Purdue Northwest took advantage of an error to even the score at 9-9, keeping the game within reach.
• Roosevelt regained the lead in the seventh with two runs, but Purdue Northwest again responded. The Pride pushed across two runs of their own, highlighted by a sacrifice fly from Chidsey and an RBI single from Kosteba, tying the game once again at 11-11.
• The Lakers edged ahead in the eighth, but Purdue Northwest refused to back down. Owen Winters (Kouts, Ind./Kouts) came through with a clutch RBI single to tie the game at 12-12, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Chidsey ignited the rally with a leadoff triple, putting the winning run just 90 feet away. After a walk and continued pressure on the basepaths, Zach Wright (Munster, Ind./Munster) delivered the decisive moment with a walk-off RBI single, scoring the winning run and sealing the 13-12 victory.
• Out of the bullpen, Ivan Balboa (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) provided a steady presence late, working the final two innings and limiting Roosevelt to just one run to give the Pride a chance to complete the comeback.

Up Next
The Pride will look to carry their momentum into their next matchup, hosting Parkside on Tuesday, April 7 with first pitch set for 1:00 PM CT.