KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A sixth-inning rally gave Purdue a 3-2 win over Northern Iowa to avenge Saturday evening's loss and start Day 3 of the Tennessee Invitational.
The Boilers scored their eight runs on eight hits, including two-hit efforts by juniors Mary Gooding and Paris Andrew. UNI managed their two runs on four hits and an error.
Junior Lilly Fecho (10-3) struck out eight batters in the complete-game victory, while Chelsea Ross (4-7) was saddled with the loss for the Panthers.
The Boilermakers had two aboard in the first as seniors Alyssa Koorsen and Ashley Burkhardt singled, but could not convert them into runs.
Andrew bounced a double off the center field wall to start the second. A sacrifice bumped her over to third, but two strikeouts left her stranded.
Purdue paired two hits and a sacrifice for a score in the fifth. Gooding led off with a single to left and moved to second on the sac bunt. Sophomore Kristen Hoppman delivered the RBI with a pinch hit double up the left field line.
UNI took the lead with two runs on two hits, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Two singles and a walk filled the bases. The wild pitch came on strike three of a swinging strikeout and allowed the first score. A sacrifice fly to deep left the next play made it 2-1 Panthers.
The Boilermakers countered with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to regain the edge. Freshman Kayla Hampton poked a two-out single through the left side to start the rally. Hampton came home as Andrew tripled to deep center field. A wild pitch allowed Andrew to score the game-winner. Gooding also had a double in the inning, but could not score.
The Panthers got a two-out base runner in the seventh care of a Boilermaker fielding miscue, but a ground ball wrapped up the win.
Purdue (12-7) wraps up its stay in Knoxville with a 12:35 p.m. tilt against No. 11 Tennessee.