Final Stats - Game 1 | Game 1 Highlights | Photo Gallery -- Game 1
Final Stats - Game 2 | Game 2 Highlights | Photo Gallery | A Recap in Tweet, Photos
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Boilermakers split a Wednesday doubleheader with instate rival Indiana, falling 1-0 in a Game 1 pitcher's duel, and holding off a late Hoosier surge in a 6-4 Game 2 victory.
Senior Lilly Fecho struck out seven and allowed just two hits in Game 1, while sophomore Gina Snyder struck out five and Fecho earned her first save of the season in the night cap.
The Boilermakers managed four hits on the day, one each by senior CJ Parsons, junior Kristen Hoppman and freshmen Lauren Stewart and Emily Kenny.
"We didn't really swing the bat and hit the right pitches in the first game, but give credit to Indiana," head coach Kim Schuette said. "That freshman threw a great game and Lil threw a great game, but unfortunately one of them had to lose. Fecho deserved to win, but we couldn't quite get a run across.
"After something like that happens, it takes a little bit to bounce back offensively. Not that we blew them away offensively in the second game, but we got the hits when we needed them. More importantly, we had some kids walk, so when the big hits came we could score some runs. Those were some good team runs. We only had three hits, but we hit a couple of shots at them and we took the game. Gina got us to the fifth, made a couple of mistakes, but threw a good game, then Fecho closed it out and she deserved to get that save as well. It was a good team effort and I am glad that we could win at home."
Purdue (21-16, 3-5 Big Ten) returns to action at 5 p.m. Friday when it takes on Wisconsin in Madison.
Indiana 1, Purdue 0
The Boilermakers managed just one hit in Game 1 against the Hoosiers, but left four runners on base in the game.
Senior Lilly Fecho (15-7) struck out seven and gave up just two hits, while surrendering the one unearned run in the loss. Tara Trainer (11-8) struck out eight Boilermakers in the win.
Seniors Mary Gooding and Katie Harrison drew one out walks in the opening stanza and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but a strikeout and ground out kept Purdue from cashing in.
Indiana tallied its first hit with a one-out single in the second, but Purdue turned a double play to erase it.
The Boilermakers got their lone hit of the game as senior CJ Parsons reached on a bunt single to start the third. A wild pitch moved Parsons to second. Gooding joined her on base with a walk, but a foul out and fielder's choice ended the threat.
In the fourth inning, a throwing error by the Boilermakers allowed Indiana to put its leadoff aboard and advance her to third on the play. A sacrifice fly brought in the game's only run.
Neither team managed a base runner again until the top of the seventh when Indiana drew a leadoff walk, but three straight fly outs brought Purdue to the plate looking to rally.
The Boilermakers went down in order on strikeouts to end the game.
Purdue 6, Indiana 4
The Boilermakers scored four runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the night cap.
Junior Kristen Hoppman and freshmen Lauren Stewart and Emily Kenny supplied the hits as Purdue put up its six runs on three hits and two Indiana errors.
Sophomore Gina Snyder (3-3) struck out five in the win, while senior Lilly Fecho earned the save after pitching the final inning. Josie Wood (10-6) was saddled with the loss for Indiana after giving up three runs in four and a third innings. Tara Trainer finished the game, allowing three runs on a hit.
Senior Paris Andrew was the first base runner of the game, reaching on an error by the pitcher in the second, but a strikeout left her stranded.
The Boilermakers put a runner on third in the third inning as sophomore Maya Hughes reached on a wild pitch to end a strikeout, stole second and went to third on another wild pitch. A strikeout left her aboard at inning's end.
A leadoff walk in the fifth marked Indiana's first base runner. A sacrifice pushed her to second and Kassi Farmer brought her home with a two-run shot to left center. A foul out and fielder's choice erased a single later in the inning.
Purdue answered with four runs on a hit and an error in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Heather Knight walked and senior CJ Parsons was hit by a pitch to start the stanza. A fielder's choice play at third base put Hughes aboard. Hoppman drove in two with a triple to right field, then came home on a passed ball. Walks to senior Mary Gooding and Stewart followed. A fielding error by the shortstop allowed Gooding to scurry home to make it 4-2 Boilermakers.
The Boilermakers tacked on two more runs in the sixth on a pinch hit two-run homer by Kenny. The long ball which snuck just inside the left field foul pole followed a leadoff walk to Knight and a sac bunt by Parsons.
Indiana rallied with a single and two-run home run in the seventh, but Fecho took over in the circle and forced a ground out, pop up and foul out to seal the victory.