COLUMBUS, Ohio - Junior Lilly Fecho struck out 10 batters and allowed just five hits, but No. 4 seed Northwestern edged the Boilers 3-0 to close out Purdue's 2015 season in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
Kristen Wood (16-9) struck out six batters in the complete-game victory for Northwestern, while Fecho (20-17) issued 10 Ks in her 37th start of the year. The junior has now started 93 career games, tied for fifth on the Purdue records list.
Senior Alyssa Koorsen, junior Mary Gooding and sophomore Kristen Hoppman accounted for Purdue's hits in the contest, while Gooding, senior Ashley Burkhardt, junior Sydney Pencek and freshman Kaylah Hampton reached via walk.
Gooding gave the Boilers their first base runner of the game with a one-out single to left in the opening stanza, but was left stranded.
Northwestern pushed two runs across on three hits in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff single, stolen base and ground out set up the first run, which came on a bunt single that toed the baseline, but stayed just fair. An Amy LeTourneau double with two aboard drove in the second. A walk filled the bases, but the Boiler defense held to strand them all.
In the third, the Boilers loaded the bases on a two-out single by Koorsen and walks to Gooding and Burkhardt in the third, but a high fly ball kept the Boilers from pushing them across.
Purdue filled the bases again in the fifth on walks to Hampton and Pencek and an error on a sac bunt by Koorsen. A fly ball turned into a double play at the plate and a fielder's choice capped the inning.
The Wildcats scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. The fly ball came with bases loaded after two singles and an intentional walk. Fecho then issued another K to get out of the inning.
Hoppman reached on a bunt single in the sixth, but was called for leaving the base early in a controversial call to end the inning. The sophomore also made a highlight-reel worthy diving catch in center field in the second inning.
The Boilermakers made contact, but could not manage a hit in the seventh to close out the game.
Purdue (31-25) ends the year in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals for the second straight season. The Boilermakers, which were the first No. 12 seed in Big Ten Tournament history to defeat a No. 5 seed in the opening round, posted 31 wins in 2015, marking the 13th time in the program's history and the first since the 2012 season. Friday's game marked the end of the careers for first baseman Ashley Burkhardt, third baseman/outfielder Alyssa Koorsen and pitchers Lexy Moore and Alex Whittemore.
Big Ten Tournament Postgame Press Conference - @coachschuette, @lilftech31 @kristen_hoppman talk about today's game http://t.co/cIogwX1cUA
- Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) May 8, 2015