WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Riding an eight-game win streak and standing firmly atop the Big Ten standings, Northwestern traveled to The Hoosier State for a weekend series at Purdue.
In a series that featured both a run-rule shutout and an extra inning comeback, the Wildcats (29-9, 15-2 Big Ten) won two of three games against the Boilermakers (22-22, 9-8 Big Ten) to clinch their 12th consecutive conference series victory.
With graduate student pitcher Ashley Miller starting in the circle for Friday’s series opener, coach Kate Drohan’s squad built its lead handily throughout the game without giving up a run.
Following a scoreless first inning, the bottom half of NU’s lineup came alive in the second, scoring three runs.
Senior infielder Hannah Cady singled to left field, freshman catcher Emma Raye followed with a walk and sophomore infielder Bridget Donahey moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
Freshman infielder Isabel Cunnea and junior outfielder Ayana Lindsey both notched RBI singles, while an additional run came across on a fielder’s choice play.
The ’Cats plated two more runs in the following inning when graduate student outfielder Angela Zedak walked and scored on Donahey’s two-run shot — the first of her two Friday homers.
NU flipped its lineup in the top of the fourth inning, adding another run to its tally when sophomore infielder Kansas Robinson tripled and sophomore outfielder Kelsey Nader followed up with a sacrifice fly.
In the last inning of the series opener, Donahey and Cunnea hit back-to-back home runs, extending the lead to nine before the game ended in run-rule fashion in the bottom half of the inning.
Following Friday’s convincing victory, the ’Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat Saturday, halting their nine-game win streak and marking their first loss in April.
Graduate student pitcher Cami Henry started the game in the circle and pitched 5.1 innings — her longest outing in a purple and white uniform to date.
“My number was called today, and I knew I was gonna give it my best whether it was two innings or six innings or the whole game,” Henry said. “My mindset is to go as hard as you can for as long as you can and know that you have teammates behind you to pick you up.”
The game remained scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning when the Boilermakers strung together a hit-by-pitch, single and double to put two runs on the board.
With two outs and a runner on first, NU’s corner infielders crept in, positioning themselves for a potential bunt or slap hit.
Instead, Purdue’s Sage Scarmardo ripped a hard ground ball down the right field line to extend the inning before Tyrina Jones drove both runners in with an RBI double.
Despite the ’Cats’ swift effort to claw back from the two-run deficit, Lindsey’s leadoff triple in the fifth inning followed by Robinson’s RBI single were not enough to complete the full-scale comeback.
“We were just too passive at the plate today,” Drohan said.
NU stranded nine runners on base and didn’t record a single extra base hit in the defeat.
Drohan’s squad wasted no time getting on the board in Sunday’s decisive game. Robinson and Nader opened the matchup with consecutive doubles to plate the team’s first run before it had recorded an out.
NU’s lead was short-lived as the Boilermakers surged ahead by two runs, powered by an RBI double in the second inning and an additional run in the third before Zedak equalized the score with a sixth-inning two-run homer.
In a prolonged stalemate, the game extended into extra innings before the ’Cats seized control with a four-run surge in the top of the ninth, fueled by Lindsey and Nader’s RBI singles and a Purdue error allowing Robinson to reach base.
Freshman pitcher Renae Cunningham made her third start of the season Sunday, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on four hits before Miller took over for the remaining six innings in relief and earned the 7-3 victory.
Following its successful stint in Indiana, NU will travel to Cornhusker territory for its penultimate series at Nebraska next weekend.
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