WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilers extend their win-streak to a record-breaking 13, defeating Ohio State 6-5 and securing the Big Ten series victory.
Previously, the longest season win-streak was 12 games from Mar. 15 to Mar. 28 in 2003. After today, the Boilers are only building, and have now surpassed the previous record, not losing a game since Feb. 27.
BOILER BITS
Offensive Highlights
- Haley Painter: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
- Khloe Banks: 1-for-3, R
- Anna Moore: 1-for-2, RBI, R
- Ashlynn Campbell: 1-for-4, R
- Moriah Polar: 1-for-2
Pitching Breakdown
- Julia Gossett: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 6 K, 22 BF
- Brianna Fontenot: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 BF
Brooke Perez: (W, 4-0) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 8 BF
The Buckeyes began with back-to-back walks to put two runners aboard in the first, but Gossett worked two fly outs and a strikeout to avoid the jam, keeping it scoreless.
In the bottom of the inning, Polar singled through the left side, cementing herself further as the nation’s hits leader, before Anna Moore worked a walk. Bella Douglas also walked in the inning to load the bases, but the Buckeyes worked two flyouts to also avoid the jam.
In the second, after a leadoff single from Ohio State, Gossett struck out the side, two swinging, one looking. The Boilers did not make any noise in the bottom half of the frame, going down in order.
Purdue came alive in the third, plating three runs on two hits and one Buckeye error. Banks led off the inning with a walk and moved over on a groundout from Polar. Moore drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single to right field.
On the next play, Haley Painter smoked a double up the middle, and made it to third on an error in the outfield, which also scored Moore. Douglas earned her second walk of the day and stole second, followed by another walk by Gossett which loaded the bases. Delaney Reefe earned her first RBI of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly to bring the tally up to three.
Ohio State threatened in the fourth, beginning with a leadoff walk. The Buckeyes loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back walks, but Gossett worked a fielder’s choice to end the inning unscathed.
Purdue added to its lead in the fourth. A single, a walk, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Painter who brought in one on a sacrifice fly to straight-away center.
The Buckeyes made it a game in the top of the fifth, plating three runs on back-to-back homers. After the first, a two run home run, Brianna Fontenot came to the mound in relief for Gossett. Fontenot’s first pitch to the Ohio State lineup was a home run. The freshman dug in deep on the mound, not allowing another run to score and giving her team a chance to score in the bottom of the inning.
Two singles, a walk, and another errant throw from the Buckeyes was enough to add a fifth run to the board for Purdue in the bottom of the fifth which proved crucial as the Buckeyes did not yield in the sixth, tying up the score in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer.
Yet, the Boilers did not yield either.
In the bottom of the sixth, Purdue began the inning with a double from Painter, followed by the third walk of the day for Douglas. Both runners moved over on a long flyout from Gossett, before Painter scored on an error by the Buckeyes.
Brooke Perez came to the mound in the sixth for the Boilers earning a huge strikeout which ended the threat. The senior continued to work in the seventh, earning the win on the mound, her first as a Big Ten pitcher.
Purdue takes the serious over the Buckeyes for the first time in a three-game capacity since 2014.
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