BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Purdue softball team improved to an eight-game winning streak on Saturday at the FAU Softball Stadium, earning a 4-1 win against North Dakota State, before collecting a 5-4 comeback victory over Yale.
The Boilermakers (15-6) have won eight straight games for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2015. Purdue pounded out 15 hits on Saturday, including four doubles from three different Boilermakers.
Purdue 4, NDSU 1
After retiring the Bison in order in the opening frame, Purdue loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and a single to left field by freshman Kasey Wilhoit. The quick feet of freshman pinch runner Shyanne Sheffield capitalized on the scoring position as she brought across the first run, sprinting from third to home on a passed ball. Sophomore Ryleigh Scott extended Purdue's lead to 2-0 with an RBI single through the right side.
Both teams went scoreless through next few innings, before NDSU broke up the shutout with a run in the fourth on an RBI single, but the Boilermaker defense and two more runs across sealed Purdue's victory,4-1, in the fifth.
The fifth frame saw Wilhoit bring across freshman Rachel Becker on a sac fly, while junior Madison Douglass delivered a two-out RBI single to center field for the last run of the game.
The Boilermakers totaled seven hits, while the defense did not commit a single error. Becker and senior Jenny Behan paced the offense with two hits apiece.
In the circle, redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (5-2) allowed just one run on six hits with no walks and struck out one in five innings pitched for her fifth win of the season. Freshman Alex Echazarreta pitched the last two innings, not relinquishing a single hit, while striking out three batters to earn her first collegiate save.
Purdue 5, Yale 4
The teams opened the game going pitch-for-pitch as the first two innings saw zero hits and zero runs, before Yale broke the back-and-fourth with one run on three hits in the third for a 1-0 lead.
The Boilermakers responded in the top of the fifth with a three-hits one-run frame of their own. Senior Lexi Huffman led off with a single to left center and junior Alexa Binckes capitalized with a two-out RBI single up the middle to knot the score at 1-1.
The Bulldogs responded with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, regaining the lead, 2-1.
Purdue battled back with two runs on two hits in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 edge. Senior Jenny Behan got the Boilermaker bats going with a single to left center and made her way around with the help of the three consecutive wild pitches from Yale's Miranda Papes. With the score tied 2-2, redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates delivered her fifth RBI of the season with a single to right field, driving across Wilhoit for a Purdue lead.
An RBI double in the bottom of the sixth gave Yale back the advantage at 4-3, but again the Boilermakers responded as seniors Mallory Baker and Lexi Huffman and Wilhoit dished out three consecutive doubles in the top of the seventh. Baker led the trio with a double down the right field line, before Wilhoit's double to left field tied the game, 4-4. With two outs, Huffman followed with her RBI double up the middle, giving Purdue a 5-4 edge.
With the help of back-to-back strike outs from freshman Alex Echazarreta, the Boilermakers retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the frame, securing a 5-4 Purdue victory.
Purdue registered eight hits and two errors in the win, with Huffman going 2-for-3 and delivering the game-winning RBI, while Wilhoit paced the team with a pair of runs.
Freshman Brenna Smith (3-1) entered in the circle in the sixth inning in relief of Echazarreta and gave up just one hit with zero runs or walks in 0.2 innings to earn her third win of the season. Echazarreta earned the start and the save, going 6.1 frames, allowing four runs-only two earned- on five hits and one walk and struck out a career-best four in the outing.
The Boilermakers conclude play at the FAU & FIU Parent's Weekend Tournament with contests against FAU and Illinois State. First pitch for the contests are set for 6 p.m. ET and 8:15 p.m., respectively.
The Boilermakers (15-6) have won eight straight games for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2015. Purdue pounded out 15 hits on Saturday, including four doubles from three different Boilermakers.
Purdue 4, NDSU 1
After retiring the Bison in order in the opening frame, Purdue loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and a single to left field by freshman Kasey Wilhoit. The quick feet of freshman pinch runner Shyanne Sheffield capitalized on the scoring position as she brought across the first run, sprinting from third to home on a passed ball. Sophomore Ryleigh Scott extended Purdue's lead to 2-0 with an RBI single through the right side.
Both teams went scoreless through next few innings, before NDSU broke up the shutout with a run in the fourth on an RBI single, but the Boilermaker defense and two more runs across sealed Purdue's victory,4-1, in the fifth.
The fifth frame saw Wilhoit bring across freshman Rachel Becker on a sac fly, while junior Madison Douglass delivered a two-out RBI single to center field for the last run of the game.
The Boilermakers totaled seven hits, while the defense did not commit a single error. Becker and senior Jenny Behan paced the offense with two hits apiece.
In the circle, redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (5-2) allowed just one run on six hits with no walks and struck out one in five innings pitched for her fifth win of the season. Freshman Alex Echazarreta pitched the last two innings, not relinquishing a single hit, while striking out three batters to earn her first collegiate save.
Purdue 5, Yale 4
The teams opened the game going pitch-for-pitch as the first two innings saw zero hits and zero runs, before Yale broke the back-and-fourth with one run on three hits in the third for a 1-0 lead.
The Boilermakers responded in the top of the fifth with a three-hits one-run frame of their own. Senior Lexi Huffman led off with a single to left center and junior Alexa Binckes capitalized with a two-out RBI single up the middle to knot the score at 1-1.
The Bulldogs responded with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, regaining the lead, 2-1.
Purdue battled back with two runs on two hits in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 edge. Senior Jenny Behan got the Boilermaker bats going with a single to left center and made her way around with the help of the three consecutive wild pitches from Yale's Miranda Papes. With the score tied 2-2, redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates delivered her fifth RBI of the season with a single to right field, driving across Wilhoit for a Purdue lead.
An RBI double in the bottom of the sixth gave Yale back the advantage at 4-3, but again the Boilermakers responded as seniors Mallory Baker and Lexi Huffman and Wilhoit dished out three consecutive doubles in the top of the seventh. Baker led the trio with a double down the right field line, before Wilhoit's double to left field tied the game, 4-4. With two outs, Huffman followed with her RBI double up the middle, giving Purdue a 5-4 edge.
With the help of back-to-back strike outs from freshman Alex Echazarreta, the Boilermakers retired the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the frame, securing a 5-4 Purdue victory.
Purdue registered eight hits and two errors in the win, with Huffman going 2-for-3 and delivering the game-winning RBI, while Wilhoit paced the team with a pair of runs.
Freshman Brenna Smith (3-1) entered in the circle in the sixth inning in relief of Echazarreta and gave up just one hit with zero runs or walks in 0.2 innings to earn her third win of the season. Echazarreta earned the start and the save, going 6.1 frames, allowing four runs-only two earned- on five hits and one walk and struck out a career-best four in the outing.
The Boilermakers conclude play at the FAU & FIU Parent's Weekend Tournament with contests against FAU and Illinois State. First pitch for the contests are set for 6 p.m. ET and 8:15 p.m., respectively.