Purdue University Northwest Sports Update, April 19, 2017

PNW-Kotzo-Walk-Off-Home-Run-Lifts-PNW-in-Game-1-Win-over-SAUKotzo Walk-Off Home Run Lifts PNW in Game 1 Win over SAU The Purdue University Northwest softball team used some late-game dramatics to capture Tuesday’s opener before dropping the nightcap in a league split with visiting St. Ambrose (Iowa).

The Pride (20-17-1, 10-6 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference) defeated the Fighting Bees (27-9, 10-4) 4-1 in Game 1 behind Taylor Kotzo’s (Munster, Ind./Munster) walk-off homer in the seventh; then fell to SAU 3-2 in Game 2 in a contest that ended with a tag-out at the plate.

PNW returns to action Wednesday when the Pride host league foe Indiana South Bend (12-14, 7-9) in a twin bill at Fifth Third Bank Field at Dowling Park starting at 3 p.m. CT.

GAME 1: PNW 4, SAU 1 Taylor Kotzo’s two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 1-all tie and gave Tuesday’s opening game to the Pride.

With runners on second and third base, Kotzo drove a 3-1 pitch over the left center wall to hand St. Ambrose starter Ashley Yattoni (12-4) just her fourth loss of the year. The home run was the fourth of the season for the sophomore.

SAU struck first in the top of the first inning, scoring on a Layne Thresh RBI single to give the Fighting Bees an early 1-0 lead. That’s how the score would stand for the next five innings until the Pride found a spark in the bottom of the sixth, opened by a lead-off single from Kotzo.

Kyleigh Payne’s (Boubonnais, Ill./Bishop McNamara) bunt single moved her to second and Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) added a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position with one out. That set up sophomore Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield), who drove a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the tying run.

PNW starter Pagan shut out the Bees in the top of the seventh to set up Kotzo’s big hit, as junior Alex Morales (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) led off the frame with a single and later advanced to third after Lauren Maynard got on via a Bees’ error.

Pagan (5-5) picked up the win in the circle with her one-run gem, scattering five hits, striking out six and allowing just one earned run.

Kotzo finished 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored and Steffens was 2-for-2 with an RBI to lead PNW.

GAME 2: SAU 3, PNW 2 The Pride made a last-chance stab at tying the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a SAU errant throw transformed into a game-saving tag at the plate to seal the win for the visitors.

With two outs and runners on first and second, PNW junior Alex Morales belted a single to left field to score Holly Pagan from second, but an errant throw resulted in another runner trying to score. SAU was able to recover with a throw to the plate to make the final out and end the game in a wild finish.

PNW struck first in the game with a run in the second inning on an Allyson Leach (Demotte, Ind./North Newton) RBI groundout to score Tessa Steffens to make it 1-0 Pride. But the Bees would finally respond with three runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead heading into the final inning.

Morales finished 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Pride and Kyleigh Payne was 1-for-3 with a triple to lead PNW’s hitters, who were held to just six hits. PNW starter Caroline Brown (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) scattered five hits, struck out one and allowed two earned runs in seven innings pitched.

PNW Sweeps Saint Xavier Tuesday Afternoon The Purdue University Northwest baseball team picked up a pair of one-run victories over Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent St. Xavier University Tuesday afternoon.

The Pride (20-14, 13-6 CCAC) earned a 5-4 victory in the opening game over the Cougars (21-23, 12-7 CCAC), before picking up a 9-8 win in the nightcap.

Larry Crisler (Gary, Ind./Bishop Noll) led the Pride offensively going 6-for-8 at the plate with 2 RBI and four runs scored.

Jonny Albers (Waterloo, Ind./Waterloo) stayed hot at the plate going 3-for-6 on the day while Austin Kordik (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago) finished the day with a pair of hits, three runs scored and one RBI.

Game 1: PNW 5, SXU 4 After the Cougars took an early 3-0 advantage in the first inning, the Pride answered back with one run in the bottom half to make it 3-1.

PNW would come back to even the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning, thanks to back-to-back RBI-hits by Hunter Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) and Cody Moskovsky (St. John, Ind./Bishop Noll).

Kordik would drive in Alec Skalka (Munster, Ind./Munster) in the bottom of the fourth, followed by an RBI-single by Crisler to put the Pride ahead 5-3.

Brody Kutch (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) would enter the game late and pick up his second save of the season, leading the Pride to a 5-4 win.

Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Bishop Noll) earned his seventh win of the season, pitching 5 innings while allowing four runs on 11 hits while striking out three.

Game 2: PNW 9, SXU 8 The Pride kept their bats alive in the second game, taking as big as a 7-run lead, 8-1, in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Cougars would answer back with five runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut its deficit to two, 8-6.

Skalka would connect on his second sacrifice fly of the game, driving in Moskovsky in the bottom of the seventh to put the Pride ahead 9-6.

SXU would get within one, 9-8 in the bottom of the ninth, but Kutch would come in and earn his second save of the day to close things out and cap of the series sweep over the Cougars.

Jimmy Skiff (Dyer, Ind./Andrean) earned his third win on the season, allowing four earned runs in 6.1 innings of work while striking out eight.

Fabian Del Real (Calumet City, Ind./T.F. North) entered the game in relief and threw 0.2 innings while Josh Arnold (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) pitched one shutout inning out of the bullpen.

Brett Shoults (Oxford, Ind./Benton Central) pitched 0.1 innings in the ninth with Kutch throwing 0.2 innings to finish off the game.

PNW returns to action tomorrow, Apr. 19, when they host NCAA Div. II opponent Saint Joseph’s College in one nine-inning game starting at 3 p.m. (CT).

Bailey Captures Second Medalist Honor in Program History Purdue University Northwest freshman Lauren Bailey captured her second tournament win of the year Tuesday, leading the field at the Elmhurst College Bluejays Spring Invitational at Oak Brook Golf Club.

Bailey (Wanatah, Ind./Lacrosse) shot a field-best 79 (+7) – which ties her own school record – and was the lone golfer to break 80 in the three-team, 16-golfer field. Her medalist title was the second in PNW women’s golf history, as Bailey took first in the PNW Fall Classic last September.

The Pride women finished third overall with a team score of 397, as Aurora won the event with a 362 and Lake Forest was second with a 369.

PNW freshman Meaghan Spalla (Crown Point, Ind./Boone Grove) was second for the Pride, carding a 99 to finish tied for 11th and Rachel Pennington (Circleville, Ohio/Logan Elm) recorded a 101 to place 15th.

PNW’s Jenna Gericke (Highland, Ind./Highland) rounded out the Pride’s team score with a 118 (16th).

The event is the final regular-season competition for the Pride, who return to action April 27-28 with the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships, hosted at Flossmoor (Ill.) Country Club.

TEAM RESULTS – 1. Aurora 362; 2. Lake Forest 369; Purdue Northwest 397.

PNW (397) – 1. Lauren Bailey 79; t-11. Meaghan Spalla 99; 15. Rachel Pennington 101; 16. Jenna Gericke 118.

Mudd, Wells Lead PNW at Kampen Classic Patrick Mudd and Ryan Wells led the way for the Purdue University Northwest men’s golf team at Monday’s 36-hole Kampen Classic hosted at the Ackerman-Allen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ind.

Mudd (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) and Wells (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) finished with identical two-round scores of 153 to place tied for 36th in the 57-golfer event, which featured 10 teams.

Mudd shot a first-round 78 before cutting three strokes off for his Round 2 75 and Wells finished with scores of 77 and 76, respectively. Freshman Brian Brzycki (Griffith, Ind./Griffith) was the next PNW finisher in 39th with a two-round score of 154 and Brandon Martin (Valparaiso, Ind./Chesterton) rounded out the Pride team score with a 156.

PNW freshman Payton Smith (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) completed the Pride’s competitors with his 161, good for 53rd.

PNW placed 10th overall with a team score of 616, shooting identical 308s in each round. Taylor won the team event with a 566, St. Francis (Ind.) was second (576) and Indiana Wesleyan third (579). Taylor’s Mitch Lamping took home individual honors with his 139, shooting rounds of 71 and 68.

PNW now awaits the upcoming Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, slated for April 24-25 in Silvis, Ill.