Purdue Sports Update April 4

PURDUE’S SEASON ENDS IN WNIT GREAT 8

The Purdue women’s basketball team saw its 2023-24 season come to a close in the WNIT Great 8 with a 67-59 loss to Vermont at Mackey Arena.

The Boilermakers were led by their two active seniors who left it all on the court in their career finales.

Abbey Ellis paced the Boilermakers (15-19) on the offensive end with 16 points. The Australian’s final made basket with 32 second left in the fourth gave her exactly 2,000 points for her career. Ellis etched her name in the Purdue record books with the second-highest career free throw percentage at 87.2%, while her 1,182 points ranks 29th most by a Boilermaker.

Jeanae Terry went for 11 points, five assists and five rebounds on Monday. The fifth-year senior set Purdue’s single-season assist record with 202 helpers. The first player in Big Ten men’s or women’s basketball history with 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 700 assists, Terry closed her career with 575 assists in just three seasons as a Boilermaker, ranking third in program history.

Terry is the only player in Purdue history to record multiple triple-doubles, while also holding the record for non-point double-doubles with five.

Sixth-year senior Caitlyn Harper, whose season came to a close due to an injury on senior night, finished her time in West Lafayette ranked sixth in field goal percentage.

While the seniors stood out in their final games, Purdue’s freshmen showed off the future of the program. Rashunda Jones went 6-of-8 at the line to finish with 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Mary Ashley Stevenson finished three points shy of a double-double. The New York City native tallied seven points, while setting career highs with 13 rebounds and four assists. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year notched her 11th game with at least seven points and rebounds, the most in the Big Ten. She finished her freshman season with 174 rebounds, seventh most by a rookie in program history.

Ellis powered Purdue in the first half with a game-high 11 points. The Boilermakers shot 41.9% from the field, while holding Vermont (25-11) to just 32.3% shooting. Purdue led 29-23 at the break.

Vermont found its shooting touch in the final 20 minutes. The guests went 16-of-23 for a 70% clip. The Boilermakers got to the free throw line 20 times in the second half but managed 14 makes.

Purdue stayed within two possessions for much of the fourth quarter, before the guests went on a 10-2 run to put the game out of reach.

PURDUE WINS ONE IN COLUMBUS, RAINED OUT VS. VALPO

Connor Caskenette connected for a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning but Ohio State turned 15 hits into eight unanswered runs, taking the series opener vs. Purdue 8-2 Friday.

The Buckeyes (11-11, 1-0 Big Ten) had a base runner in every inning and scored in four of the first five frames, opening up a 7-2 advantage in the process. Led by a four-hit night from Nick Giamarutsti in the 7-hole, the bottom third of the OSU lineup was a combined 8-for-12 with four extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored.

As the fourth batter of the game, Caskenette hit an opposite-field blast to right with Luke Gaffney aboard for his team-leading sixth home run of the season. Caskenette also tied Gaffney for the Big Ten lead in RBI (33).

But the Boilermakers (16-11, 1-3 Big Ten) were unable to record multiple hits in an inning against OSU lefthander Landon Beidelschies (3-4), who struck out seven while limiting the visitors to five hits over seven innings.

Gaffney posted his team-leading 14th multi-hit game, highlighted by a double down the right field line in the eighth inning. It was his 10th two-bagger of the season, making the redshirt freshman the fourth fastest Boilermaker to reach the benchmark since 2001.

Camden Gasser was kept off base for the first time this season, ending his on-base streak at 24 consecutive games. It was Purdue’s fifth longest season-opening streak since 2001.

On a day in which 19 of the 22 runs scored with two outs, Ohio State’s Trey Lipsey hit a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning to power the Buckeyes past Purdue 12-10 Saturday.

The Boilermakers (16-12, 1-4 Big Ten) led for much of the day thanks to a six-run third inning, an extended rally that featured six consecutive two-out hits. But OSU (12-11, 2-0 Big Ten) scored the game’s final five runs on a two-run homer from Tyler Pettroini in the bottom of the eighth and Lipsey’s game-winning blast.

Jo Stevens doubled twice and scored four times, extending his on-base streak to 14 consecutive games. Keenan Taylor hit a go-ahead three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field. Thomas Green had three hits in his first start since March 9, driving in a run in three at-bats.

Aaron Suval gave Purdue consecutive scoreless frames for the first time in the series, retiring seven of eight batters faced from the fourth through the sixth inning. Jackson Dannelley stranded a pair of inherited runners while retiring the first three batters he faced after taking over for Suval with two on and no outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Luke Gaffney’s three-run homer powered a five-run third inning for Purdue and Carter Doorn retired the first 13 batters he faced over 5 1/3 innings of shutout relief, leading the Boilermakers to a 7-1 victory at Ohio State on Sunday.

Jonathan Blackwell and Doorn both struck out five while teaming up with Avery Cook on a three-hitter. They held down a Buckeye lineup that had scored 20 runs on 29 hits over the first two games of the series.

Purdue (17-12, 2-4 Big Ten) scored 11 of its 19 runs in the series in the third inning. As the fourth batter of the frame, Gaffney kept his towering blast fair inside the right field foul pole. It was his second three-run homer of the week and sixth long ball of the season. He leads the Big Ten with 36 RBI.

Forecasts calling for rain and snow plus sub-40 degree temperatures on the heels of Greater Lafayette already receiving heavy rains since Monday has led to the postponement of Wednesday’s Purdue-Valparaiso game at Alexander Field.

The coaching staffs are working on finding a makeup date to reschedule the annual in-state matchup. Currently, that makeup remains to be determined.

Fans with tickets for Wednesday’s game can exchange them for general admission seats to any future home date (excluding the weekend of May 3-5). Purdue begins a nine-game homestand on Tuesday, April 9 vs. Indiana State and plays 16 of its final 23 games at Alexander Field beginning April 9.

The Boilermakers had played their first 29 games as scheduled over the first eight weeks of the season. They entered the week tied with Indiana for the most games played in the league. Thirteen of those 29 games were played at Alexander in March.

Purdue is back in action Friday for the opener of a four-game series at Rutgers, visiting the state of New Jersey for the first time since April 2019.

SOFTBALL WINS SERIES OVER RUTGERS

After entering the seventh inning tied 1-1, the Purdue softball squad (12-18, 0-4 Big Ten) fell in Game One vs. Rutgers (21-13, 3-1 Big Ten) after the Scarlet Knights scored four runs in the final frame.

After Rutgers took an early 1-0 lead on a walk with the bases loaded in the first inning, the Boilermakers responded in the third when Moriah Polar scored on an RBI double by Khloe Banks. A stalemate ensued until the final inning when the Scarlet Knights scored to seal the game.

Banks, batting .377 on the year, led the team with two hits, including her fourth double of the season. Meanwhile, Polar secured her 22nd run of the season, second-most on the team.

The Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights each notched five hits, with Purdue committing one error in the seventh inning.

Starting pitcher Julia Gossett struck out four batters and tossed 107 pitches over 5.2 innings of work. The freshman retired after allowing one run and two hits. Madi Elish, who entered for Gossett, received the loss as she moves to 2-5 on the year following five batters faced, one walk, one hit and two runs. Kendall Klochack closed the game for the last .2 innings and five batters.

After a five-run fifth inning by Purdue tied the ballgame vs. Rutgers, Boilermaker Softball went on to win the game in the 8th inning, 6-5. The Boilermakers capitalized on Rutgers errors throughout the game, which included the game-winning run by Kyndall Bailey.

Bailey secured Purdue’s walk-off after leading off the eighth inning with a double to left field. After advancing to third on a fielder’s choice, she scored on Moriah Polar’s at-bat, as a fielding miscue by the Scarlet Knights gave Bailey the time to find home.

With the result, Purdue (13-18, 1-4 Big Ten) even the series vs. Rutgers (21-14, 3-2), 1-1. 

After opening the day with a walk-off eight-inning victory, the Purdue softball squad (14-18, 2-4 Big Ten) secured its first Big Ten series win of the season with a 5-3 decision vs. Rutgers (21-15, 3-3 Big Ten) in Game 3.

Madi Elish (3-5) went the distance for her second complete game of the season, feeding the defense throughout the game for 21 putouts and 10 assists for the fifth 20-putout, 10-assist game of the season. Elish dished out two strikeouts and allowed four hits on three runs and two walks in the outing.

After falling yesterday in a close battle, the Boilermakers surged back on Day 2, taking both games in the doubleheader vs. Rutgers for the series win. In both wins, Purdue racked up five runs in a single inning, totaling five in the fifth inning of the series’ Game 2 and five in the third inning in Game 3, which proved to be the difference-maker.

A sacrifice fly and a two-run homer by Rutgers gave the Scarlet Knights a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning, however the Boilermakers responded immediately with five runs in the bottom of the frame. The Boilermakers loaded the bases and walked in two straight runs following back-to-back hit-by-pitches, which allowed Moriah Polar and Khloe Banks to score. Sage Scarmardo, the national leader in hit-by-pitch, registered her 18th HBP of the season for Purdue to post its first run of the game. With the play, Scarmardo has reached base in 20 of the last 21 consecutive games. The game-winner came on a two RBI single by catcher Ryen Ross and an insurance run was notched on Olivia McFadden’s RBI single, which scored Kyndall Bailey.

Purdue was out-hit 3-4 in the outing. A clean defensive performance by both teams resulted in no errors.

KOZLOWSKI’S 70 LEADS PURDUE IN FINAL ROUND OF THE BRUZZY

With the help of four birdies, senior Ashley Kozlowski fired an even-par 70 to lead Purdue Women’s Golf in the final round of The Bruzzy at Dornick Hills Country Club. She moved 16 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 21st (+9), while the Boilermakers ended the tournament in 10th place (+49).

Kozlowski was Purdue’s best golfer for the fifth time out of nine tournaments this season, just barely missing out on her sixth Top 20 performance of her senior campaign. The Littleton, Colorado, native began the final round with a pair of birdies through her first eight holes without making a bogey. Despite two bogeys and a double bogey after making the turn, Kozlowski found two more birdies to get back to level par for the day and record Purdue’s lowest round of the tournament.

Natasha Kiel played her best golf of the weekend Sunday, carding a 72 (+2) to jump into 27th at 12-over. Following a tough start that found her 4-over through her first four holes, the transfer went low on the front nine. Kiel made three birdies and six pars on the opening side for a 3-under 31 that pushed her back to 1-over on the day. She had an 11-hole bogey-free stretch before a miscue at the par-4 11th. Kiel parred her final two holes, going 2-under through her final 14 holes to result in the 72.

Momo Sugiyama shot 75 (+5) to finish 13-over and in a tie for 35th, placing outside the Top 20 for the first time this spring. Jade Gu added a 79 (+9) to contribute to the team’s final round 296 (+16).

The Boilermakers have one more tournament to prepare for the Big Ten Championships and NCAA postseason play. After a weekend off, Purdue heads east to Columbus, Ohio for the Lady Buckeye Invitational (April 13-14).