URBANA, Ill. - Senior Kaitlynn Moody notched her first home run as a Boilermaker, but it wasn't enough to push Purdue past Illinois as the Boilermakers fell 7-2 on Friday at Eichelberger Field.
Moody's long ball was one of five hits for the Boilermakers on the day. Purdue also saw hits from freshmen Rachel Becker and Kaeley Hallada, and seniors Mallory Baker and Jenny Behan.
Moody also paced Purdue in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings of relief with a game-high three strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore Sydney Bates earned the start, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.
Illinois scored first, putting a run on two hits in the opening stanza. A single up the middle and a ground ball put the Illini in scoring position, while a single to left center brought in the run.
The Illini added three runs on two more hits in the third. A hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch put a runner on second and a single to center field allowed Illinois to push across its second run. The home squad kept its momentum alive with an RBI double to left field and a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead.
Purdue snapped the shutout with a two-RBI home run by senior Kaitlynn Moody in the top of the fifth, before Illinois added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the conference win.
Both teams continue the series with Game 2 on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. ET with the contest set to broadcast on BTN2go.