Game 1 Final Stats
Game 2 Final Stats
URBANA, Ill. - The Boilermakers and Fighting Illini split a Sunday doubleheader with each team taking an 8-7 eight-inning victory. Purdue won Game 1 of the twin bill, while the Illini took the night cap.
Junior Mary Gooding posted three hits in each contest. Senior Alyssa Koorsen had five hits on the day, including three in Game 1, while junior Paris Andrew tallied two hits in each game.
Purdue (29-21, 7-11 Big Ten) returns to action at 5 p.m. Wednesday when they play their final home game of the year against Indiana State. The Boilers then wrap up the regular season in a three-game series at Minnesota next weekend.
Purdue 8, Illinois 7
The Boilers got two runs in the top of the eighth on a triple, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly to go up 8-6 and held on for the win as junior Lilly Fecho struck out two batters with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning to clinch the 8-7 victory.
Fecho (18-14) struck out eight batters in the win, including the final two after re-entering the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth. Reliever Breanna Wonderly (2-8) was saddled with the loss for the Illini. Freshman Gina Snyder and senior Lexy Moore faced a combined three batters in the eight inning for Purdue before Fecho came back in the game.
The Boilermakers scored their eight runs on 14 hits and three errors, while allowing Illinois seven runs on eight hits and two miscues. Senior Alyssa Koorsen and junior Mary Gooding posted three hits apiece, while senior Ashley Burkhardt and junior Paris Andrew had two-hit days.
The Boilers put up two quick runs on three doubles in the first inning. Koorsen led off with a double to the left center gap. Gooding swapped places with her on a double to center, putting Purdue on the board. Gooding went to third on a wild pitch and came home as freshman Kaylah Hampton lifted a two-out double to right center.
Sophomore Kristen Hoppman reached on an error to start the second, was sacrificed to second and appeared to have scored on a single by junior Sydney Pencek, was called out in a controversial call at the plate.
Gooding and senior Burkhardt led off the third with singles and stood in scoring position as Andrew came to the plate. Andrew delivered on the RBI opportunity, plating both with a single to left. Freshman Maya Hughes walked and Hoppman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, prompting an Illini pitching change. A wild pitch scored Andrew to make it 5-0, before a strikeout and ground out ended the inning.
The Illini got a run on two hits in the bottom of the stanza, combining a two-out single and a double for the score.
Koorsen and Gooding singled to start the fourth, but a double play and pop up kept the Boilermakers from adding to the 5-1 lead.
Illinois scored three unearned runs in the fifth inning that included a runner interference call and a bases clearing double to the warning track. Two walks and an error loaded the bases. The interference call kept the bases full with two outs, but the double cut the Boilermaker lead to 5-4.
The Boilers added a run in the seventh combining a double by Burkhardt, a single by Andrew and an error by the center fielder after the hit. Hampton was hit by a pitch and Hoppman singled later in the inning, but the Boilermakers could not add any more to the 6-4 edge.
The Fighting Illini sent the game to extra innings with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. A double, a walk and a passed ball put two in scoring position, setting up the sacrifice fly. A single followed to knot the score.
The Boilermakers went ahead as Parsons lifted a triple to right center and slid around the tag at the plate on a fielder's choice play. A single by Koorsen and an intentional walk to Burkhardt filled the bases for Andrew, who drove in the eventual game-winner with a sacrifice fly.
Illinois paired two singles for a run in the bottom of the inning. A walk loaded the bases, setting the table for Fecho's final heroics. The junior struck out the first batter she faced looking after an eight- pitch battle and sat the final one down swinging on four to cap the win.
Illinois 8, Purdue 7 (8 Innings)
A four-hit eighth inning, including a controversial call at third base, gave Illinois the 8-7 comeback win over the Boilermakers in a heartbreaking Game 2 of the doubleheader.
The Boilermakers scored seven runs on 11 hits and four errors, while Illinois scored eight runs on 13 hits and two errors. Junior Mary Gooding led the Boilers with three hits, while senior Alyssa Koorsen and junior Paris Andrew added two hits apiece.
Jade Vecvanags (17-10) struck out seven in the complete-game effort for Illinois. Senior Lexy Moore (4-4) was saddled with the loss in a relief effort. Freshman Gina Snyder struck out one in the starting effort and junior Lilly Fecho faced the final two batters of the game.
The Illini scored a pair of unearned runs in the first inning, combining two doubles and the fielding miscue for the scores.
The Boilermakers answered with two runs on three hits in the second. Junior Paris Andrew led off with a single and swiped second before scoring on a single by freshman Maya Hughes. Hughes went to second on the throw home and scored herself on an RBI single by junior CJ Parsons.
Illinois made good on a leadoff walk, scoring the runner with a pair of singles in the second to go ahead 3-2.
The Boilers took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly by senior Ashley Burkhardt and an RBI single by Andrew in the third. Koorsen singled, stole second , went to third on a Gooding single and scored on the sac fly. Gooding went to third on the fly out and scored on Andrew's base hit to put Purdue on top.
The Fighting Illini combined three hits and an error for three runs in the fourth to take a 6-4 lead.
Purdue knotted it up at 6-6 with two runs on a hit and an error in the sixth. Andrew reached on an error and was joined by Hughes, who was hit by a pitch, and Parsons who drew a two-out walk. Senior Alex Whittemore came through in the clutch with a two-RBI single up the middle. A strikeout ended the inning.
Both teams stranded runners in the seventh to send the game to extra innings. The Boilermakers left Burkhardt aboard after a fielder's choice and a two-base throwing error. The Illini failed to capitalize on a leadoff walk and a single.
An RBI single by Koorsen gave the Boilers a 7-6 lead in the eighth. The hit followed an error that put Parsons on second and a hit by pitch to Whittemore. A fly out ended the Boilermaker eighth.
The Illini clinched the win with four hits in the bottom of the eighth. A single and a double put two in scoring position with one out, bringing Fecho in to pitch. A single to left field scored the first run, but the Boilers appeared to have gotten an out at third base after the hit, but the runner was called safe. A single down the first baseline ended the game.