WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilers (26-12, 6-6 Big Ten) saved the series with a 4-2 game three victory over Wisconsin (21-12, 7-5), while Moriah Polar inked three marks in the record book, finishing a home run shy of the cycle.
During Polar’s first at-bat, she smashed an RBI triple where she became tied for first in career-triples at Purdue (14), a record set in 2008 by Ashley Hall. With Polar’s second hit of the day, her 76th of the season, Polar cemented herself as No. 2 in the record book for single-season hits, overtaking Jenny Schoen’s 75 hits in 1997.
With 85 hits as the top spot single-season record, Polar is just nine away from breaking the record with a guaranteed 14 games left to go; The junior is currently on a 16-game hit streak.
BOILER BITS
Offensive Highlights
- Moriah Polar: 3-for-3, 3B, 2B, 2 R, RBI
- Anna Moore: 2-for-3, RBI
- Khloe Banks: 1-for-3, R
- Haley Painter: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
Pitching Breakdown
Julia Gossett: (W, 10-6) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 32 BF
The Boilers started the game off hot, plating three runs in the bottom of the first. Khloe Banks led off with a single to left, advancing on an error from Wisconsin. Polar’s triple drove in the first run of the day, for her 96th career-RBI, just four shy of entering the 100 hits, 100 runs scored, and 100 RBI club, having already accomplished the other two feats.
With Polar on, Haley Painter launched her sixth home run of the year, a 218 foot blast, which brought in the final two runs in the first.
Julia Gossett shined on the mound, giving up just one hit through four innings, surrendering just a lone unearned run up until the fifth.
Anna Moore plated Purdue’s fourth run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, on an RBI single which sent around Polar, her 48th run scored of the season, in which she set her third record of the day, tying herself for third in single-season runs scored.
The Badgers cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth on a solo shot, but the Boilers shut it down in the top of the seventh, closing out the game with a strikeout from Gossett, earning the 4-2 victory and avoiding the sweep.
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