CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illini (25-10, 5-2 B1G) topped the Boilermakers (15-24, 4-3) 9-1 to open the series in Champaign, Illinois. Maya Hughes, Kristen Hoppman and Mallory Baker each continued their success at the plate against one of the Big Ten's best pitchers in Breanna Wonderly.
Wonderly held off the Boilermakers for much of the contest but Hughes, Hoppman and Baker were each able to register a hit and were responsible for Purdue's lone run of the ballgame. Of the nine runs scored by the Illini only five were earned by Kaitlynn Moody as Illinois was able to take advantage of three errors by the Boilermakers.
Hughes kicked off the fourth inning with a double down the line, bettering her position as the Big Ten's leader in hits with 52 on the year, ranking her 16th in the nation. The hit was her 11th in 25 at-bats against Big Ten opponents, giving her a .440 batting average through seven conference games.
Hoppman advanced Hughes to third with a sacrifice bunt and would later single and steal her conference-leading 21st bag of the season in the sixth. Baker then singled to left to drive in Hughes and extend her hitting streak to 13 games. She's now 10-for-20 in Big Ten play with four doubles, four runs batted in and three runs scored.
Illinois kept the pressure on from the start, taking advantage of an error in the first to score a pair of runs and then played small ball in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Moody responded with back-to-back one-two-three innings allowing the Boilermakers to pull within two of the Illini in the fourth with the RBI single from Baker, scoring Hughes. Purdue's success in holding off the Illini was short-lived however as Illinois used a five-run fifth to positon itself for the six-inning victory.
Purdue looks to even the series with Illinois on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at Eichelberger Field.
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