TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Purdue Softball continued its strong start to the season with a 4–0 shutout victory over Georgia Southern, before splitting the day, falling to No. 10 Alabama.
BOILER BITS (Game 1 vs Georgia Southern)
Offensive Highlights:
- Moriah Polar: 2-for-4, RBI, 2B
- Haley Painter: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, R
- Julia Gossett: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, R
- Bella Douglas: 1-for-4, RBI
Pitching Breakdown
- Julia Gossett: (W, 2–0), 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Purdue wasted no time jumping ahead in game one, earning two runs in the top of the first inning. Khloe Banks reached on an error, using her speed to reach third on the overthrow. Bella Douglas followed with an RBI groundout to bring her in, putting the first run on the board for Purdue.
Haley Painter added the second run of the inning after sending a solo shot over the fence, her second of the season.
The game remained tight through the middle innings as Purdue’s defense and pitching kept Georgia Southern off the board. Gossett worked efficiently in the circle, striking out seven and allowing just four hits across seven shutout innings.
Gossett continued worked on both sides of the ball, adding to the Boilers lead with a home run in the top of the fourth, her second of the season.
Moriah Polar added a final insurance run in the top of the seventh, scoring Banks on an RBI double down the left field line.
The win improved the Boilermakers to 5–1 after game one on the day in Tuscaloosa.
BOILER BITS (Game 2 vs No. 10 Alabama)
Offensive Highlights:
- Moriah Polar: 1-for-2, BB
Pitching Breakdown
- Brianna Fontenot: (L, 2–2), 2.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 15 BF
- Brooke Perez: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 7 BF
- Emma Bailey: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 BF
- Malone Moore: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 BF
The Boilers fell to top-ten ranked Alabama in the home opener for the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Friday night.
After battling through two scoreless innings in the first and second, Alabama found its groove, plating eight runs in the bottom of the third.
Freshman, Brianna Fontenot, got the start for the Boilers working efficiently through two before she was relieved in the bottom of the third by Brooke Perez. Perez worked out of the inning, but not before the Crimson Tide plated two more to bring them out 8-0.
In the top of the fourth, Polar added in the only hit to the board for the Boilers, lacing a line drive back at the pitcher, but was stranded in the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Alabama added two insurance runs before closing out the game in the top of the fifth for the run-rule victory.
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