Saturday, April 26
Fort Wayne, Ind.
1 PM
Purdue Fort Wayne
16-22, 12-8
6
vs
5
Northern Kentucky
21-23, 11-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Northern Kentucky
1
0
2
0
0
0
2
5
10
0
Purdue Fort Wayne
1
0
1
4
0
0
X
6
8
1
McKenna Minton
Photo by: Rachel Von Art
Mastodon Softball Sweeps NKU With 6-5 and 3-1 Wins
4/26/2025 4:56:00 PM | Softball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Purdue Fort Wayne softball picked up a pair of Horizon League victories over Northern Kentucky on Saturday (April 26), winning 6-5 and 3-1.
With the wins, Purdue Fort Wayne earned its first sweep of a three-game series over Northern Kentucky in the 34-year history of the rivalry.
Bailey Manos finished 6-for-7 in the doubleheader.
GAME 1: Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Northern Kentucky 5
The Mastodons used a four-run fourth and withstood a seventh-inning comeback to take game one 6-5.
NKU led 3-1 after a run in the first and two in the third. Purdue Fort Wayne got one in the first when Manos snuck home on a ground out. Zimpleman had an RBI with Manos scoring again in the third.
In the fourth, Manos doubled to left to score Brooke Lickey to tie up the game, then Tori Countryman singled to score Alexa Carter, and Grace Hollopeter had a sac fly to bring Manos around. Zimpleman doubled to bring Countryman around and open up a 6-3 lead.
NKU started a comeback in the seventh with a sac fly and solo home run, but the Mastodons held the Norse there. NKU had the go-ahead run at the plate but Alanah Jones struck her out. Jones got the win to move to 12-14 after her five strikeouts.
Kyndall Ford suffered the loss and fell to 6-7.
Manos finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Countryman had a 3-for-4 effort too with a run and an RBI. Zimpleman had one hit and two RBIs.
GAME 2: Purdue Fort Wayne 3, Northern Kentucky 1
In game two, it was the closest thing to a pitcher's duel all weekend. Gracie Brinkerhoff got the start and went the distance without giving up an earned run.
The Mastodons never trailed in game three of the series. They took a 1-0 lead in the first with a sac fly from Hollopeter to score Manos.
NKU responded in its next trip to the plate, scoring an equalizer on an error.
Hollopeter silenced the Norse in the fourth inning with a solo shot over the left field wall on the first pitch she saw in the at bat.Â
Later in the sixth, Manos had a triple and Countryman brought her home with a single through the right side. This was the insurance run that was ultimately unnecessary, as Brinkerhoff sent the go-ahead run back to the dugout on a ground out to third.
Brinkerhoff got the win to move to 4-1 on the season. Brooklyn Ballis suffered the loss to fall to 6-8.
With the sweep, Purdue Fort Wayne improved to 17-22 and 13-8 in Horizon League play. Northern Kentucky fell to 21-24, 11-9 in the HL.
Purdue Fort Wayne will host Green Bay for the final series of the regular season next weekend (May 2-3). Saturday will be the Mastodons' Senior Day for Brinkerhoff and manager Dymond Barbre.Â
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With the wins, Purdue Fort Wayne earned its first sweep of a three-game series over Northern Kentucky in the 34-year history of the rivalry.
Bailey Manos finished 6-for-7 in the doubleheader.
GAME 1: Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Northern Kentucky 5
The Mastodons used a four-run fourth and withstood a seventh-inning comeback to take game one 6-5.
NKU led 3-1 after a run in the first and two in the third. Purdue Fort Wayne got one in the first when Manos snuck home on a ground out. Zimpleman had an RBI with Manos scoring again in the third.
In the fourth, Manos doubled to left to score Brooke Lickey to tie up the game, then Tori Countryman singled to score Alexa Carter, and Grace Hollopeter had a sac fly to bring Manos around. Zimpleman doubled to bring Countryman around and open up a 6-3 lead.
NKU started a comeback in the seventh with a sac fly and solo home run, but the Mastodons held the Norse there. NKU had the go-ahead run at the plate but Alanah Jones struck her out. Jones got the win to move to 12-14 after her five strikeouts.
Kyndall Ford suffered the loss and fell to 6-7.
Manos finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Countryman had a 3-for-4 effort too with a run and an RBI. Zimpleman had one hit and two RBIs.
GAME 2: Purdue Fort Wayne 3, Northern Kentucky 1
In game two, it was the closest thing to a pitcher's duel all weekend. Gracie Brinkerhoff got the start and went the distance without giving up an earned run.
The Mastodons never trailed in game three of the series. They took a 1-0 lead in the first with a sac fly from Hollopeter to score Manos.
NKU responded in its next trip to the plate, scoring an equalizer on an error.
Hollopeter silenced the Norse in the fourth inning with a solo shot over the left field wall on the first pitch she saw in the at bat.Â
Later in the sixth, Manos had a triple and Countryman brought her home with a single through the right side. This was the insurance run that was ultimately unnecessary, as Brinkerhoff sent the go-ahead run back to the dugout on a ground out to third.
Brinkerhoff got the win to move to 4-1 on the season. Brooklyn Ballis suffered the loss to fall to 6-8.
With the sweep, Purdue Fort Wayne improved to 17-22 and 13-8 in Horizon League play. Northern Kentucky fell to 21-24, 11-9 in the HL.
Purdue Fort Wayne will host Green Bay for the final series of the regular season next weekend (May 2-3). Saturday will be the Mastodons' Senior Day for Brinkerhoff and manager Dymond Barbre.Â
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~ Feel the Rumble ~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Alanah (12-14)
L: Ford, Kyndall (6-7)
Batting:
2B: Ginn, Emma 1
3B: Pastin, Olivia 1
HR: Pastin, Olivia 1 ; Robertson, Trinity 1
RBI: Rhoads, Jena 1 ; Pastin, Olivia 1 ; Wulker, Stella 2 ; Robertson, Trinity 1
SF: Rhoads, Jena 1 ; Wulker, Stella 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rhoads, Jena 1 ; Pastin, Olivia 2 ; Robertson, Trinity 1 ; Brow, Mack 1
SB: Rhoads, Jena 1
HBP: Ginn, Emma 1
Batting:
2B: Manos, Bailey 1 ; Zimpleman, Addison 1
RBI: Manos, Bailey 1 ; Countryman, Tori 1 ; Hollopeter, Grace 1 ; Zimpleman, Addison 2
SF: Hollopeter, Grace 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Manos, Bailey 3 ; Countryman, Tori 1 ; Lickey, Brooke 1 ; Carter, Alexa 1
SB: Manos, Bailey 1 ; Countryman, Tori 1
HBP: Lickey, Brooke 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ SoftballC/UTL
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
RHP/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballHuge Dubs!
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Mastodon Softball walks off NKU
Friday, April 25
Softball Win over IUPUI
Monday, April 15
Winning 'Dons are Happy 'Dons!
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