CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Purdue softball bats continued to stay hot as the Boilermakers earned their 17th victory with an 8-4 performance against Saint Joseph's on Wednesday afternoon at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex.
Trailing 2-1 the top of the third, the Boilermakers got a key two-run homer run off the bat of senior Mallory Baker to take a brief 3-2 lead. After SJU (7-7) tied things up on a single in the bottom of the fourth, doubles from junior Alexa Binckes and sophomore Ryleigh Scott and a single from redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates finished off the thrilling 8-4 victory for Purdue.
The Boilermakers (17-7), who have won 10 of their last 11 games, delivered a season-best 15 hits against the Hawks. The performance marks Purdue's eighth contest with double-digit hits this year as the Boilermakers total 193 hits overall.
In the circle for Purdue, freshman Alex Echazarreta (4-1) earned the win, allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in 3.2 innings. Bates pitched 3.1 innings, relinquishing no more than a single hit, while striking out four.
The Hawks struck first with a two-out triple and capitalized on a passed ball to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Purdue cut SJU's lead in the half in the top of the second as Echazaretta singled home junior Madison Douglass, who reached on a single of her own to left field.
The Boilermakers kept their momentum going with a two-run home run by Baker in the top of the third.
Leading 3-2, Purdue then took advantage of a Saint Joseph's error in the top of the fourth to extend to a 4-2 edge. The Hawks responded with a two-run single in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score 4-4.
An RBI double to left field by Binckes in the fifth, broke the tie and put the Boilermakers back in control with a 6-4 advantage.
Purdue then closed the door with two runs in the seventh as Scott and Bates registered an RBI double and single, respectively.
Overall, Purdue saw 10 Boilermakers tally at least one hit in the victory.
The Boilermakers next take on USF in their first of five games in the USF-Michelle Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at the USF Softball Stadium.