April 18, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.-- The Purdue softball team (25-18, 6-6 Big Ten) salvaged the final game of a three-game series against Wisconsin (20-13, 4-4) on Sunday with an impressive 8-1 victory. The Boilers bounced back from two losses on Saturday by pounding out 10 hits and two home runs.
"We were more focused and patient at the plate today," senior Denise Szany said. "We came out and got the job done."
Szany started the scoring for the Boilers in the first inning with an RBI-double that brought home Skeeter Nixon. An inning later, Nixon doubled to score two more runs and later scored on a single by Sam Mercier. With Mercier on first and two outs, Szany sent a two-strike pitch deep over the left field fence for her third homer of the year. After two innings, Purdue led 7-1.
"Our word for the day was attack," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "On the mound, on defense and on offense we wanted to attack and I think that we did that in all three areas."
On the mound, freshman Nicole Crouse allowed five hits and one run for her 12th win of the year. The LaPalma, Calif., native went the distance and stranded 10 Wisconsin runners.
"Location-wise, I was better today," Crouse said. "My shoulder was still sore, but I was hitting my spots better."
Purdue added another run in the fourth inning, when sophomore Keely Povlitz led off with a home run over the left field fence. The solo shot was Povlitz's first of the season and third of her career.
"I was fired up because I hadn't gotten a base hit in awhile," Povlitz said. "The coaches gave me some keywords to get more focused today. They told me to 'punch it' to get my hands to the ball better."
With the victory, the Boilers moved up to sixth place in the conference standings with a 6-6 record. After first-place Michigan (13-0), the Big Ten has seven teams that are one game above, below or exactly at the .500 mark.
"From number two through 10 in the conference, its anyone's race at this point," Bruggeman said.
Purdue will now play a non-conference doubleheader at home against IUPUI at 2 p.m. on April 20 before resuming conference play at Indiana with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on April 21.
R H EWisconsin 1 5 2Purdue 8 0 2