MIAMI - The Boilermakers scored 22 runs on 23 hits in a pair of Saturday mercy-rule victories at the FIU Invitational. Purdue topped Memphis 10-2 in six innings and followed that with a 12-0 shellacking of Long Island to move to 5-4 on the season.
Freshman Maya Hughes and junior CJ Parsons each had four hits on the day, while senior Ashley Burkhardt, junior Paris Andrew and freshman Kaylah Hampton added three hits each. The Boilermaker pitchers issued 13 strikeouts, including 10 by junior Lilly Fecho.
The Boilermakers (5-4) return to action at 10 a.m. Sunday vs. Florida International.
Purdue 10, Memphis 2
The Boilermakers rapped out three home runs, including one inside-the-parker, in a 10-2 run-rule victory on Saturday morning to start Day 2 of the FIU Invitational.
The Boilers scored 10 runs on eight hits and an error, while allowing the Tigers two runs on three hits and an error. Freshman Maya Hughes led the Purdue bats with a 2-for-3 effort and two runs. Senior Ashley Burkhardt tallied her fourth home run of the season and accounted for four RBI, while freshman Kaylah Hampton added her third long ball. Junior CJ Parsons picked up an inside-the-park home run to lead off the sixth.
For her part, junior pitcher Lilly Fecho struck out a career-best 10 batters in a complete game effort. Starter Calli Irvin was saddled with the loss for Memphis, allowing six runs in three innings of work. Reliever Molly Smith gave up four runs in the final two stanzas.
The Boilermakers put up a four-spot in the first inning with help from a fielder's choice, an RBI single and Hampton's two run shot to right field. Hughes reached on a bunt single and went to third with a steal and a ground out before sliding under the tag at home on Burkhardt's fielder's choice to the shortstop. Burkhardt then swiped second, setting the table for redshirt junior Katie Harrison's RBI single. Pinch runner Lexi Valone travelled around the base paths as Hampton's hit cleared the wall to make it 4-0.
A second-inning single by junior Mary Gooding put the Boilers up 5-0. The hit plated junior Paris Andrew, who drew a leadoff walk and stole second.
Fecho pitched over a pair of one-out singles in the third, and her offense tacked on another insurance run in the bottom of the stanza. A double by Andrew accounted for the score in the inning. Hampton walked and went two second on a throwing error. A fielder's choice saw Hampton out at third, but put senior Alyssa Koorsen and sophomore Kristen Hoppman at first and second. Andrew's double brought Hoppman home.
Memphis broke through with two runs on a hit and an error in the fourth. A throwing error on a dropped third strike gave the Tigers a runner at second base. A home run to right center by Brooke Lee snapped the shutout bid.
The Boilers put runners on base in the fourth and fifth, but couldn't add to the lead. Hughes singled and stole second in the fourth and Hampton walked to start the fifth.
Purdue poured on four runs on two hits in the sixth to end the game early. Parsons led off the inning by lifting a ball up the left field line, sending the left fielder crashing into the wall. She was unable to recover as Parsons raced around the base paths for an inside-the-park home run. Hughes walked and stole second, before being joined by pinch hitter Alex Whittemore, who also walked. Burkhardt secured the run-rule win by launching a three-run shot over the left center wall.
Purdue 12, Long Island 0
The Boilermakers lit up the scoreboard with 12 runs on 15 hits, while holding the Blackbirds to just five hits in a 12-0 run-rule shortened victory on Saturday to move to 5-4 on the season.
Five Purdue players had two or more hits, led by junior CJ Parsons' 3-for-3 day. Freshmen Maya Hughes and Kaylah Hampton, senior Ashley Burkhardt, and junior Paris Andrew each tallied two hits as nine different Boilers had base-knocks in the game.
Senior Lexy Moore (1-1) struck out two and scattered four hits in four innings of work in the victory, while freshman Gina Snyder issued one K in the final stanza. Alyssa Lanktree-Dotson went the distance for the Blackbirds in the loss.
The Boilers scored four runs on six hits in the third to get things rolling. Singles by Parsons, junior Sydney Pencek and Hughes loaded the bases. Junior Mary Gooding's single to right center plated two. Burkhardt added a single to load the bases again. Hughes scored on a double play and Burkhardt came home on a Hampton single to left center.
Andrew and Parsons singled to start the fourth and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Pencek. Hughes brought Andrew home with a single to the shortstop, while Parsons scored on a ground ball to second. Burkhardt was intentionally walked, but the Boilers stranded two with a pop up.
LIU posted a pair of one-out singles in the fourth, but a foul out and strike out ended the threat.
Another six run barrage in the fifth inning put the game out of reach. Hampton started the stanza by lifting a home run to left center. Hoppman doubled, Andrew singled and Parsons added an RBI single. Senior Alex Whittemore scored Andrew with a pinch hit double to left center. A fielder's choice accounted for the inning's second out, but gave the Boilermakers runners at the corners. Burkhardt stepped to the plate and lifted a three-run shot to right center to cap the scoring.
The Blackbirds kept the game going with a walk and a single in the fifth, but a pop up sealed the game.