EVANSTON, Ill. - A seventh-inning home run by senior Ashley Burkhardt sent the game to extra innings, but an eighth-inning shot by Northwestern stole away the 4-3 victory for the Wildcats.
The Boilermakers scored their three runs on six hits, including two by senior Alyssa Koorsen. Northwestern scored its four runs on nine hits and an error.
Reliever Amy Letourneau (10-8) picked up the win, tossing the final stanza for the Wildcats, while junior Lilly Fecho (15-8) struck out 12 in the losing bid for the Boilers. Starter Kristen Wood went seven innings and struck out 13 for NU.
Northwestern scored first, combining two singles and stolen base for a run in the bottom of the first.
The Boilermakers threatened in the third as junior Mary Gooding drew a leadoff walk and Koorsen joined her with a two-out bunt single, but a strikeout ended the inning.
The Wildcats capitalized on a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning as a two-run shot to left center by Andrea Filler put NU up 3-0
Purdue had the bases loaded in the fourth but could not cash in. Hampton lifted a single to shallow left field and went to third as junior Paris Andrew sent a double to the left field wall. Gooding was hit by a pitch with two outs to fill the base paths with Boilers, but a strikeout kept Purdue off the scoreboard.
Sophomore Kristen Hoppman lifted a two-out double to shallow right field in the fifth and was joined on base by Burkhardt, who walked, but the Boilers couldn't bring them home.
Northwestern had two aboard for the second straight inning in the fifth, but left both stranded as Fecho struck out the next three batters.
Andrew was hit by a pitch to start the sixth and went to third with a steal and a wild pitch, but was left stranded.
Burkhardt came through in the clutch, lifting an 0-2 pitch deep over the center field wall to tie the game in the seventh. The home run followed a Koorsen double and a walk to Hoppman.
Northwestern had runners at second and third in the bottom of the seventh, but Fecho issued two Ks to escape unscathed.
The Boilers put runners at the corners in the eighth as Gooding was hit by a pitch and went to third on wild pitch and a throwing error. Junior Sydney Pencek joined her with a two-out walk, but a strikeout stranded both.
Sammy Nettling gave Northwestern the walk-off win with a solo home run to right center to start the bottom of the eighth.
The Boilermakers (24-12, 4-3 Big Ten) and Wildcats will meet again at 2 p.m. ET Saturday and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.