February 20, 1999
RALEIGH, N.C. - After dropping the season opener in a disappointing loss to Marshall, the Purdue softball team found itself in a precarious situation. If it did not win two consecutive games on Saturday night, it would be eliminated from the rain-shortened Triangle Classic. The team's response was a 7-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky and a 4-0 win over Liberty to ensure a spot in the championship bracket on Sunday morning. The Boilermakers were one of 12 teams in the 24-team field to survive pool play.
"We made huge improvements from the time the day started until the time the day ended," head coach Carol Bruggeman said. "We had two outstanding pitching performances in our victories."
In the first game of the day, Purdue committed three errors and managed three hits in a 2-0 loss to Marshall. The Thundering Herd took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the seventh to claim the victory and hand freshman Nicole Crouse her first loss of the year.
In the second game of the day, Purdue seemed to struggle on offense again until senior Denise Szany broke a scoreless tie with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the fourth that scored freshman Chrissy Davie. The bats came alive again in the seventh, as the Boilers added six runs on five hits and two walks to open up a 7-0 lead. Meanwhile, freshman Meagan Dooley was making the most of her collegiate debut on the mound. The Phoenix, Ariz., native allowed four hits and one run in the seventh inning to notch the complete-game victory.
"I was really impressed with our pitching today," senior captain Sam Mercier said. "They showed a lot of composure out there."
In the last game, Purdue opened the scoring in the top of the first when Szany ripped a double to right-center to score Mercier from first. Two innings later, the Boilers found an unlikely source of power in Skeeter Nixon. The junior left-fielder came to the plate with Mercier on first and blasted the first home run of her collegiate career with a line drive over the left-center field fence.
"When the pitch came in, it looked huge. It was like a watermelon coming up there," Nixon said. "I hit it right in the sweet spot of the bat and I didn't even know what had happened until I rounded second base. I couldn't believe it."
On the mound, Crouse redeemed herself in every way. The LaPalma, Calif., native tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts for her first win of the year. She had a no-hitter until the sixth inning, when a swerving line drive whizzed by Davie's glove in right field. The no-no was kept alive momentarily in the fifth on a spectacular diving catch in center field by sophomore Lynne Tortorelli.
Other Boilers who exploded on offense in the night game included sophomore Danica Maher who had two doubles, and Mercier, who was 4-for-4 with four singles, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
Purdue will now play Sunday at 9 a.m. against tournament-host North Carolina. If the Boilers advance, they will play the winner of Drexel and Marshall in the semifinal at 11 a.m.
R H EMarshall 2 6 0Purdue 0 3 3
Purdue 7 8 1E. Kentucky 1 4 1
Purdue 4 10 2Liberty 0 1 0