HAMMOND, Ind. – Despite solid performances at the plate by sophomore Hunter Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) and freshman Kevin McCune (Munster, Ind./Andrean), the Purdue Northwest baseball team dropped both games of its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader with Northwood University (Mich.) Friday afternoon at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers Field in Dowling Park in Hammond, Ind. The Pride lost the seven-inning game, 3-1, and then dropped the second game (nine innings) by a score of 8-5. The games were originally scheduled for Midland, Mich., but were moved to Hammond due to weather so NU served as the home team for both games.
Thorn combined to go 3-for-7 on the day with two triples, two runs scored and a RBI. McCune went 4-for-8 with a homer, two run scored and a RBI. In the first game, senior Jimmy Skiff (Dyer, Ind./Andrean) suffered his first loss (2-1) of the season pitching all six innings and allowing seven hits, three runs (all earned) and no walks with eight strikeouts.
The Timberwolves opened the first game with a run in the bottom of the third inning off a solo homer to take a 1-0 lead. Northwood added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single and RBI double. Thorn led off the top of the seventh inning with a triple to the gap in right centerfield and scored on a groundout in the next at-bat by senior Jonny Albers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo), but that was the only run for PNW in game one.
In the late game, the Pride got on the scoreboard first with a run in the top of the first inning off a RBI single to centerfield by senior Jacob Lane (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central). NU took the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second behind a RBI single and a bases-loaded walk. A two-run single in the bottom of the fourth put the Timberwolves ahead, 4-1. McCune crushed a solo shot to left field in the top of the fifth to make the score, 4-2.
However, Northwood recorded RBI singles in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings along with a sacrifice fly to extend its edge to 7-2. Senior Austin Kordik (West Chicago, Ill./College of DuPage/Community) scored on a groundout in the top of the seventh, but NU answered right back with a solo homer in the bottom half to make it, 8-3.  Thorn got his second triple of the day to the gap in left centerfield in the top of the eighth driving in a run on the hit to highlight a two-run frame for the Pride, but the two runs in the eighth were the last of the game.
Freshman Chad Patrick (Hebron, Ind./Hebron) took the loss (3-1) as the game two starter for PNW. He pitched 1.2 innings and gave up four hits, two runs (both earned) and four walks with three strikeouts.
Purdue Northwest (9-8 overall/2-4 GLIAC) closes out its conference series with Northwood on Saturday, March 31, with a doubleheader. The doubleheader opens with a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning game with the first game slated for a noon CT start at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers Field in Dowling Park.