ELGIN, Ill. – The Purdue University Northwest baseball team split Wednesday’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Judson University.
The Pride (26-16, 17-7 CCAC) dropped the opening game to the Eagles (35-15, 19-5 CCAC) before bouncing back to win 5-2 in the nightcap.
GAME 1: Judson 3, PNW 2
Judson would score two runs in the bottom of the second, before taking a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the fourth.
The Black and Gold would answer back in the top of the fifth inning, after a groundout by Hunter Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) scored Mike Mikulich (Hebron, Ind./Hebron).
Tyler Crussen (Wheeler, Ind./Wheeler) would score later in the inning on a single from Jake Lindeman (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) to make it 3-2.
Judson would hold the Pride scoreless for the rest of the game, stealing the opening game 3-2.
Jimmy Skiff (Dyer, Ind./Andrean) pitched a complete game for the Pride, throwing 6 innings while striking out four.
GAME 2: PNW 5, Judson 2
PNW would strike first in the top of the third inning, after a groundout from Luke Schmidt (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) plated Jono Bigger (Roselawn, Ind./North Newton) who pinch ran for Jonny Albers (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) after a leadoff single.
After Judson evened the score at one run each in the bottom of the fourth, the Pride would answer back with one run in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-1 lead.
Judson would plate one last run in the bottom of the seventh, but a two-run RBI from Albers gave the Pride a three run lead.
The bullpen for the Pride would shutdown the Eagles for the rest of the game to finish off the split, 5-2.
Fabian Del Real (Calumet City, Ill./T.F. North) picked up his fourth win of the season after throwing five innings and allowing just one run on five hits with five strikeouts.
Matt Sandoval (Highland, Ind./Bishop Noll) would enter the game in relief and throw two innings with two strikeouts while Brody Kutch (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) earned his fifth save of the year throwing two scoreless frames.