FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Boilermakers piled up four runs on 10 hits to record their seventh straight victory, a 4-2 win over Oakland to start the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Invitational.
Senior Ashley Burkhardt went 3-for-4 to lead the Purdue bats, while freshman Maya Hughes, redshirt junior Katie Harrison and senior Alyssa Koorsen added two-hit days.
Senior Lexy Moore (2-1) struck out three batters and allowed a run on five hits in four and two thirds innings en route to the win. Senior Alex Whittemore issued one strikeout in two innings of work, while junior Lilly Fecho picked up her first save of the season, striking out the game's final batter with two aboard. Haley Zemmer struck out seven in the complete-game loss for Oakland.
Burkhardt got the Boiler bats started with a two-out double in the first inning. She went to third on a passed ball, but was left stranded by a strikeout.
After forcing the Grizzlies to waste a second-inning single, the Boilermakers put two aboard care of walks from Zemmer. A ground ball moved them into scoring position, but Purdue could not cash in on the scoring opportunity.
Oakland scored first, combining two singles and a walk for a score in the third. A single and a walk set up a two-out RBI single by Sara Cupp, as the lead runner just beat the tag at the plate on the relay throw from the outfield.
Hughes walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch to set the table for Burkhardt's RBI single to tie it up in the bottom of the inning. Burkhardt stole second and third before coming home on Harrison's single to right. Moore pinch ran for Harrison and went to third on an illegal pitch and a ground out, but the Boilers couldn't get her in to add to the 2-1 edge.
A single and an error gave Oakland two base runners in the fourth, but a foul out and a ground ball to the pitcher erased the threat.
Koorsen and Hughes each singled and stole a base in the bottom of the inning, but a strikeout left both stranded.
A single and two walks filled the bases for the Grizzlies in the fifth, but Whittemore forced a ground ball back to herself to get out of the jam.
Purdue tacked on an insurance run with two hits in the bottom of the sixth. Burkhardt reached on a bunt single and stole second to kick off the stanza and came home on a Harrison single to right center.
Koorsen led off the sixth with a bunt single. Pinch hitter Sydney Pencek lobbed an infield single just outside of the reach of the diving third baseman, allowing Koorsen to scurry to third on the play. Hughes sent a single through the left side to bring Koorsen in to score and make it 4-1. A fielder's choice and a walk set up Oakland's final RBI single, a Morgan Muron hit to right field, in the seventh. With two aboard and two out, Fecho came in to finish the game with a three-pitch strikeout.
The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. ET against the home-standing Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Live stats will be available at purduesports.com.