March 10, 2000
TAMPA, Fla. - The Purdue softball team swept their way back into the Speedline Invitational Friday afternoon with 2-0 and 8-1 victories over Maryland and Hofstra. The Boilermakers, 10-9 overall, used a combination of strong pitching and timely hitting to even their record to 2-2 and set themselves up in a three way tie for second place in pool play with one game remaining.
"The coaching staff is very pleased with the way we bounced back today," coach Carol Bruggeman said. "We got two great pitching performances from Crystal (Inman) and Nicole (Crouse) and Jesse (Jones) and Heidi (Foster) both were very impressive at the plate."
Inman was in complete control of the first game against Maryland. So in control, that the senior right-hander faced only 22 batters over seven innings, one away from a perfect game. Her lone blemish in the game was a third inning single to the Terrapin's Stefanie Robinson. Inman (2-0) struck out seven Maryland hitters, tying a season high, while walking none en route to her complete-game victory. The outing lowered her ERA to 1.81 for the season, with 19 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched.
Freshman Jesse Jones was 1-for-2 in the game, collecting both RBIs for Purdue on a fourth inning sac-fly that scored pinch runner Briana Hensley and a two-out double in the sixth to score Katie Crabtree.
In the second game the Boilers combined a complete game performance by Nicole Crouse, with power hitting in their 8-1 victory over 28th-ranked Hofstra. Down 1-0 through three innings, Purdue exploded for three runs in the bottom of the fourth, one in the fifth and three in the sixth to shoot down the Flying Dutchwomen.
Jones got the scoring started for Purdue in the third with a towering three-run homer over the leftfield fence off Hofstra starter Jen Smith. Her third four-bagger of the season scored Hensley, running for freshman Heidi Foster, who led off the inning with a single, and sophomore Chrissy Davie. Jones finished the game going 2-for-3 with the home and a single, three RBI and a run scored.
In the fifth, Purdue picked a run when redshirt freshman Andrea Roush led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a wild throw by Hofstra's Heather Brousseau on senior Skeeter Nixon's grounder. The next hitter, sophomore Danika Nice lifted a towering fly ball to right, which was deep enough to score Roush.
Purdue gathered four insurance runs in the sixth when Roush knocked home freshman Angi Roembke with a one-out single, junior Keely Povlitz and Roush on a Hofstra error on Katie Crabtree's grounder and Nixon on a wild pitch. Roush finished the game 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.
Crouse was equally impressive on the mound as the sophomore right-hander scattered eight hits over seven innings while striking out four. The sophomore evened her season recorded to 2-2 while lowering her season ERA to 2.33 in 27 innings pitched.
Purdue is tied with 18th-ranked South Carolina and Uconn at 2-2 and lead Hofstra and Maryland (both 1-3) with one game remaining in pool play. 19th-ranked Illinois-Chicago, whom the Boilers will face at 10 a.m. on Saturday, won the pool going 4-0 over the first two days. The top four teams in each pool advance to bracket play Saturday night, with the first three to the championship bracket and the fourth-place team to the consolation round. The Boilers are guaranteed to advance to bracket play, but will have to wait until pool play concludes to find their place. Tie-breakers are 1. Win-loss record, 2. Head-to-head results, 3. Least number of runs allowed and 4. Run differential.