Feb. 26, 2000
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Thirteen games into the season the Purdue softball team had won games where the pitching staff took control and dominated their opponents and there were games where the offense had battered the opposition. Saturday, the Boilers combined the two in an 8-0, six inning rout of Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo at the UCSB Invitational in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Boilermakers (7-7, 0-0 Big Ten) cranked out 13 hits in the eight-run mercy rule game, five of them for extra bases and benefited from a complete game, two-hit gem by freshman southpaw Leighann Burke.
"What and outstanding effort all the way around," coach Carol Bruggeman said. "Our offense jumped on every opportunity presented to them and Leighann (Burke) had a solid performance. We're really starting to see the production from the team that we have expected all season. We're improving in every game played and are starting to click."
The Boilers exploded for four runs in the second, three of them on outfielderLynne Tortorelli's first collegiate home run. The junior launched a two-out line drive that screamed over the head of the mustang outfielder. The home run plated catcher Keely Povlitz, who two batters earlier, narrowly missed a home run of her own on a shot to centerfield that fell just short smacking off the fence, and pinch runner Angi Rombke
Freshman Heidi Foster started things off in the second where she sent pitcher Maggie Del Rio's offering back up the middle for a single, which was misplayed by the Mustang's Crystal Nessa in the outfield allowing her to advance to second. Foster was replaced at second by pinch runner Jill Paxson, who advanced to third when designated player Danika Nice laid down a perfect bunt and deftly avoided the tag by first baseman Holly Ballard.
With runners on the corners and no outs, Coach Bruggeman replaced Nice at first with Roembke, who promptly took second on her fourth steal of the season. Povlitz then sent her shot to center, scoring Paxson giving Purdue a 1-0 lead and moving Roembke to third. After pop outs by Andrea Roush and Skeeter Nixon, Tortorelli stepped up and smacked her liner that would give the Boilers a commanding 4-0 lead.
Two innings later the Boilers would add two more runs on a double by Nixon. Povlitz laced a one out single to center to start the rally and was replaced by Briana Hensley at first. Roush then hit a grounder to second baseman Tracie Carlisle whose throw was mishandled at first allowing Roush and Hensley to move to second and third. Nixon gave the Boilers a 6-0 lead when brought the two home on her two-bagger to left center .
In the fifth, the Boilers appeared to have the game wrapped up with the eight-run rule, when Foster crushed Mustang reliever Terra Blankenbecler's pitch over the centerfield fence. As the freshman rounded the bases assuming she had just connected on her first collegiate home run, the umpire at first ruled that Chrissy Davie had left first early and ruled her out, nullifying the home run. Foster settled for a walk and the Boilers came up empty in inning.
It would only take one more inning for Purdue to score the two runs necessary to end the game early. Katie Crabtree and Jesse Jones brought home Nixon and Tortorelli on singles in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory. Tortorelli ended the game 3-for-3 with the home run, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk and two stolen bases.
Burke (3-3) was in command the entire game on the mound. The first year starter struck out seven batters in the six innings to bring her season total 30 in 36.1 innings pitched. She induced 10 ground ball outs, including seven that she assisted on and allowed only two singles. One each in the second and third innings.
Purdue will play Iowa State at 6 p.m. EST today.