April 21, 1999
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.-- Five straight hits by the first five batters was a good omen for the Purdue softball team (29-18, 8-6 Big Ten) on Wednesday afternoon. The Boilermakers went on to score 17 runs on 23 hits in a doubleheader sweep over Indiana (17-29, 3-10), winning by scores of 11-1 and 6-2.
The Boilers scored four runs in the top of the first of game one and never looked back. They added three runs in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth to win by the mercy rule (eight-run margin) in five innings. Freshman pitcher Nicole Crouse (13-9) earned the victory, allowing one earned run while striking out four.
In game two, the Boilers fell behind 2-1 in the top of the fourth, but came back to take the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Senior Sam Mercier capped off a great day at the plate with three hits and an RBI. Overall, the San Clemente, Calif., native was 5-for-6 with three RBI. Freshman pitcher Meagan Dooley (14-8) claimed the victory, giving up one earned run in four innings of work. Crouse pitched the final three innings to preserve the win and capture her first save of the season.
Other top offensive performances on the day included Denise Szany, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI in game one, Mandy Smart, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the first game, and Jenny Barnett, who went 2-for-2 with three RBI in game two. Katie Crabtree notched her third home run of the season with a line drive over the right field fence in the fifth inning of game two.
Purdue will now travel to Penn State for a three-game series beginning at 2 p.m. on April 24.
R H EPurdue 11 14 0Indiana 1 4 3
Indiana 2 8 4Purdue 6 9 1