KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Boilermakers put at least one runner on base in every inning, but wound up on the short end of a 3-1 score against Northern Iowa Saturday night.
Purdue scored its run on six hits, including a 3-for-3 effort by senior Alyssa Koorsen and a two-hit day by senior Ashley Burkhardt, while UNI managed its three runs on six hits and an error.
Chelsea Ross (4-6) struck out 11 in the complete-game victory for the Panthers. Senior Lexy Moore was saddled with the loss for the Boilers, striking out one and allowing just one earned run in four and two thirds innings. Freshman Gina Snyder issued the final out of the fifth inning and struck out the side in the sixth in relief.
The Boilermakers threatened in the first, putting a pair of runners in scoring position care of singles by Koorsen and Burkhardt and a wild pitch, but couldn't cash in.
After stranding junior Mary Gooding, who drew a two-out walk in the second, Purdue broke onto the scoreboard combining a pair of doubles for a run in the third. Koorsen doubled down the left field line and came home on a double to left field by redshirt junior Katie Harrison.
Gooding and junior Lexi Valone earned free passed in the fourth, but a foul out kept Purdue from converting on the RBI chance.
Northern Iowa knotted the score with a run on a hit in the fourth. A single, an all-hands safe fielder's choice and sacrifice put runners at second and third with one out. A wild pitch allowed the score.
Koorsen added her third hit of the game in the fifth, sending a leadoff single up the middle. A foul out and double play wrapped the stanza.
The Panthers plated the go-ahead runs on two hits and an error in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff single and ground ball put a runner in scoring position. A throwing error on a fielder's choice play at third base allowed the first run to come in. The batter advanced to second on the error and scored on a two-out single through the left side. Snyder entered the game with a runner at second and forced a fly ball to get out of the inning.
Junior Paris Andrew was stranded after earning a two-out walk in the sixth, but Purdue returned the favor as Snyder pitched over a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning, issuing three straight Ks.
In the seventh, Koorsen drew a two-out walk to keep hope alive. Burkhardt followed with a single to left field, but a strikeout cut the rally short.
The Boilermakers (11-7) face off against the Panthers again at 10 a.m. Sunday and wrap up their stay at the Tennessee Invitational with a 12:15 contest against the host No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.