UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" After three scoreless innings, Nebraska broke through with eight runs over the next two for an 8-0 win to end the Boilermakers' season Thursday night.
The game marked the final collegiate contest for seven Purdue seniors: Paris Andrew, Lilly Fecho, Mary Gooding, Katie Harrison, CJ Parsons, Sydney Pencek and Lexi Valone.
The Boilermakers managed five hits in the game, including a 2-for-2 effort by Andrew. Nebraska scored its eight runs on eight hits and one Purdue miscue in the run-rule shortened contest.
Emily Lockman (9-4) struck out three in the complete-game victory for the Huskers. Fecho (18-13) struck out three batters, pitching the first four innings for the Boilermakers. Sophomore Gina Snyder and junior Katie Johnson each threw a third of an inning in the fifth.
Junior Kristen Hoppman led off the game with a sharp single to right field. A fielder's choice got Hoppman at second and put senior Mary Gooding on, but the Boilermakers could not push in a run.
Nebraska loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with a hit by pitch, a single and an intentional walk, but Fecho came up with a big strikeout to leave them stranded.
Freshman Lexi Huffman laced a single through the right side to give the Boilermakers a base runner in the second, but was later picked off. Andrew followed with a single to left, but a strikeout ended the stanza.
The Huskers filled the bases again in the second, but the Boilermaker defense once again held. A single, a walk and intentional walk accounted for the Nebraska base runners.
After a quiet third inning on both sides, freshman Lauren Stewart lifted a single to center field. She was caught stealing second nullifying the Boilermaker threat.
Nebraska struck for five runs on four hits and an error in the fourth. A pair of singles and a double accounted for the first score. After an intentional walk filled the bases, a hit by pitch made it 2-0. A single and an error added two more scores. A squeeze bunt made it 5-0. A fly ball left the bases full of Huskers to end the inning.
Andrew sent a one-out single through the right side in the fifth, but a strikeout and ground out kept the Boilermakers off the scoreboard.
The Huskers ended the game, plating three runs on two hits in the fifth. After giving up a leadoff single, Fecho gave way to Snyder. Two walks loaded the bases for Nebraska. An RBI single by Mattie Fowler and an RBI walk by Dawna Tyson made it 7-0. Johnson took over in the circle and forced a ground ball back to herself, but it was enough to allow the Huskers to score the final run of the game.
The Boilermakers wrap the 2016 season with a 27-28 record, including a win over No. 25 Central Florida and series victories over Iowa and Wisconsin. Purdue played 23 games against the RPI Top 50 and 27 against the Top 75. The Boilermakers finished in a 10th-place tie in Big Ten play.