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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With a doubleheader sweep of Indiana State on Wednesday at Bittinger Stadium, the Purdue softball team improved to 24 wins for the first time since 2016 with an eight-inning 5-4 win in game one, and a 9-6 victory in game two.
With the pair of wins, the Boilermakers improve to 24-10 overall, including a 4-1 showing at home, while pushing their win streak to three games.
Junior Alexa Binckes guided the Boilermakers, registering a .667 batting average on a 2-for-3 effort plus four RBI and a .667 slugging percentage between the two games. Senior Jenny Behan added strength to Purdue's lineup with a team-best four hits and two runs.
Purdue 5, Indiana State 4 | 8 innings
A two-run homer to left center gave the Sycamores a 2-0 lead in the second inning, before Purdue responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame.
A hit-by-pitch and a single put the Boilermakers in scoring position for senior Kaitlynn Moody, who plated Purdue's first run of the game on a sacrifice hit to centerfield. Purdue earned a second run on an RBI single from junior Alexa Binckes to tie the game at 2-2, before the Boilermakers drove in two more runs on an Indiana State miscue.
With Purdue leading 4-2, Indiana State (11-17) battled back with a pair of RBI singles in the third to tie the game, 4-4.
The score stayed knotted for the remainder of regulation as neither team would be able to push across anymore runs.
After ISU stranded a pair of runners in the top half of the eighth, senior Jenny Behan led off the bottom half of the inning with a double to right center. Following a walk, Behan raced home on senior Lexi Huffman's double to right field for the clinching run.
The Boilermakers totaled eight hits with zero errors, while the Sycamores tallied 10 hits and two miscues.
Redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (8-4) earned the win after entering in the fourth frame for freshman Alex Echazarreta and gave up only three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of work. Senior Kaitlynn Moody received the start, pitching 2.1 innings for the Boilermakers.
Purdue 9, Indiana State 6
Once again the visitors struck first, this time with three runs in the opening frame and extended their lead with two more runs in the top of the fourth.
The Boilermakers battled back with a pair of runs in the bottom of third on an RBI triple from senior Mallory Baker and an RBI single to left field by senior Jenny Behan.
Freshman Rachel Becker added to Purdue's rally with an RBI single to right field in the fourth inning.
Each team followed with a run in the fifth frame, before the Boilermakers ignited for a five-run sixth inning to claim its first lead and ultimately the win, 9-6. The runs were fueled by six Boilermaker hits, including three-consecutive RBI singles from Baker, Behan and freshman Kasey Wilhoit.
Overall, Purdue outhit the Sycamores 12-8, while redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (9-4) collected her second-straight win in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits.
Purdue returns to action in a Big Ten series against Minnesota, March 29-31, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With a doubleheader sweep of Indiana State on Wednesday at Bittinger Stadium, the Purdue softball team improved to 24 wins for the first time since 2016 with an eight-inning 5-4 win in game one, and a 9-6 victory in game two.
With the pair of wins, the Boilermakers improve to 24-10 overall, including a 4-1 showing at home, while pushing their win streak to three games.
Junior Alexa Binckes guided the Boilermakers, registering a .667 batting average on a 2-for-3 effort plus four RBI and a .667 slugging percentage between the two games. Senior Jenny Behan added strength to Purdue's lineup with a team-best four hits and two runs.
Purdue 5, Indiana State 4 | 8 innings
A two-run homer to left center gave the Sycamores a 2-0 lead in the second inning, before Purdue responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame.
A hit-by-pitch and a single put the Boilermakers in scoring position for senior Kaitlynn Moody, who plated Purdue's first run of the game on a sacrifice hit to centerfield. Purdue earned a second run on an RBI single from junior Alexa Binckes to tie the game at 2-2, before the Boilermakers drove in two more runs on an Indiana State miscue.
With Purdue leading 4-2, Indiana State (11-17) battled back with a pair of RBI singles in the third to tie the game, 4-4.
The score stayed knotted for the remainder of regulation as neither team would be able to push across anymore runs.
After ISU stranded a pair of runners in the top half of the eighth, senior Jenny Behan led off the bottom half of the inning with a double to right center. Following a walk, Behan raced home on senior Lexi Huffman's double to right field for the clinching run.
The Boilermakers totaled eight hits with zero errors, while the Sycamores tallied 10 hits and two miscues.
Redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (8-4) earned the win after entering in the fourth frame for freshman Alex Echazarreta and gave up only three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of work. Senior Kaitlynn Moody received the start, pitching 2.1 innings for the Boilermakers.
Purdue 9, Indiana State 6
Once again the visitors struck first, this time with three runs in the opening frame and extended their lead with two more runs in the top of the fourth.
The Boilermakers battled back with a pair of runs in the bottom of third on an RBI triple from senior Mallory Baker and an RBI single to left field by senior Jenny Behan.
Freshman Rachel Becker added to Purdue's rally with an RBI single to right field in the fourth inning.
Each team followed with a run in the fifth frame, before the Boilermakers ignited for a five-run sixth inning to claim its first lead and ultimately the win, 9-6. The runs were fueled by six Boilermaker hits, including three-consecutive RBI singles from Baker, Behan and freshman Kasey Wilhoit.
Overall, Purdue outhit the Sycamores 12-8, while redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates (9-4) collected her second-straight win in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits.
Purdue returns to action in a Big Ten series against Minnesota, March 29-31, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.