TAMPA, Fla. – The Purdue softball team (15-14) earned its first top-25 victory since 2016 and first for head coach Boo De Oliveira with its 1-0 shutout at No. 22 South Florida (24-5). The victory marked just the third time a Purdue team has shut out a ranked opponent since 2009.
Senior catcher Kaeley Hallada secured the game-winning run in home run fashion, coming against the national ERA leader Georgina Corrick's first pitch of the night.
Meanwhile Alex Echazarreta (7-2) recorded her third complete game shutout of the season in the victory, on her birthday no less. In total, Echazarreta allowed just two hits over the seven innings and a key three strikeouts.
The Boilermaker defense put in the work, totaling 21 putouts and 13 assists, a season-best. Moreover, in the fifth and sixth innings, the defense came through when needed the most, silencing the Bulls despite bases being loaded in each of the frames.
Echazarreta came up big in the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and one out on the board, Corrick entered to pinch hit. In the battle of pitchers, Echazarreta came out on top, sending the No. 1 pitcher in the nation back to the dugout swinging before the infield scooped up a grounder for the third out.
The victory marked the third shutout of the season for Purdue and is the seventh win in the last eight games.
Earlier in the day, Purdue fell to Lehigh in a 8-5 heartbreaker, after Lehigh's five runs in the bottom of the seventh overtook the Boilermaker lead. Rachel Becker led the game with two runs on three hits and an RBI in the outing.
Purdue will face No. 22 USF again on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Before the Boilermakers face USF once more, they will go through Canisius and St. Thomas (Mn.) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, respectively.
Senior catcher Kaeley Hallada secured the game-winning run in home run fashion, coming against the national ERA leader Georgina Corrick's first pitch of the night.
Meanwhile Alex Echazarreta (7-2) recorded her third complete game shutout of the season in the victory, on her birthday no less. In total, Echazarreta allowed just two hits over the seven innings and a key three strikeouts.
The Boilermaker defense put in the work, totaling 21 putouts and 13 assists, a season-best. Moreover, in the fifth and sixth innings, the defense came through when needed the most, silencing the Bulls despite bases being loaded in each of the frames.
Echazarreta came up big in the fifth inning, with the bases loaded and one out on the board, Corrick entered to pinch hit. In the battle of pitchers, Echazarreta came out on top, sending the No. 1 pitcher in the nation back to the dugout swinging before the infield scooped up a grounder for the third out.
The victory marked the third shutout of the season for Purdue and is the seventh win in the last eight games.
Earlier in the day, Purdue fell to Lehigh in a 8-5 heartbreaker, after Lehigh's five runs in the bottom of the seventh overtook the Boilermaker lead. Rachel Becker led the game with two runs on three hits and an RBI in the outing.
Purdue will face No. 22 USF again on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Before the Boilermakers face USF once more, they will go through Canisius and St. Thomas (Mn.) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, respectively.