St. Joseph's Box Score: HTML / PDF // USF Box Score: HTML / PDF // Tournament Central
TAMPA, Fla. -
Game One - St. Joseph's
Purdue (4-16) overcomes an early deficit to come back and win 3-2 in eight innings over St. Joseph's (3-8).
St. Joseph's (3-8) capitalized on Purdue's two errors in the first inning to jump out to an early 2-0 lead over the Boilermakers. Purdue has been plagued by early inning deficits but this time the lead was not extended by the Hawks.
Kaitlynn Moody (2-5) got the start inside the circle for the Boilermakers and had one of best outings of the year. Moody earned the winning throwing a complete game giving up six hits, two runs (zero earned) and striking out four.
The Boilermakers trailed for the first four innings until scoring two to tie the game. Alexa Binckes approached the plate with Kaylah Hampton on third and Stephanie Ramsey on second and sent a ball right back up the middle to drive in the first run of the game for Purdue. Huffman would add the second run for Purdue as she reached on an error by the pitcher on the next at bat that scored Ramsey.
Moody continued to work through the St. Joseph's lineup for the next four innings allowing only four hits and the Boilermakers cashed in on the opportunity to win it in the eighth with bases loaded and only one out. Once again it was Alexa Binckes at the plate with runners on and once again the freshman produced this time lining a ball past the third baseman that scored Baker for the Boilermaker victory.
Game Two - South Florida
Boilermakers pick up second win of the day with a 2-0 win over South Florida (13-9) after a one-hit shutout performance from Maddie Damon.
Damon (3-4) was excellent from start to finish throwing a complete game shutout giving up only one hit that came with two outs in the second inning. After the hit from the Bulls, Damon retired 16 of the next 17 batters, the lone runner coming off an error from Kristen Hoppman in the third inning.
"The defense was really on today" said Damon, "so when that happens I gain a lot of confidence." The defense stepped up in a big way today as the Boilermakers made tough plays in the field all seven innings including an outstanding catch in left field from Kaylah Hampton in the third frame.
Purdue (5-16) struggled in the first five innings at the plate off of the starter from USF, Cheyenne Eggens (5-4). Finally the Boilermakers broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning as Maya Hughes knocked a ball of the right field wall for a standup double with one out. Kristen Hoppman then reached on a fielder's choice bringing Mallory Baker to the plate with two on. Baker lined one into right field for a 2-RBI single and that was all that was needed as Damon went three-up-three-down the final four innings to close out Purdue's fifth win of the year
The Boilermakers return to the field tomorrow for two games in Clearwater, Florida, against USC Upstate at 2 p.m. ET and Villanova 4:15 p.m.
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