March 23, 2000
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Purdue softball team split their two-game set against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in South Bend on Thursday afternoon. The Boilermakers, 15-14 overall, dropped the first contest 8-0 in six innings and won the second 2-1.
In the first game of the double-header, an Irish seven run second inning proved to be too much for the Boilers. Notre Dame had fortune smile upon them when catcher Jarrah Miles legged out an infield single and was followed by Andrea Loman's grounder back to starting pitcher Nicole Crouse, who's throw to shortstop Katie Crabtree arrived too late to catch Myers advancing to second. The Irish took advantage of the first and second, no out opportunity, as the next three Notre Dame hitters collected hits driving in two and leaving the bases loaded. After an infield fly to Crabtree gave the Boilers the first out of the inning, Crouse hit Irish lead off hitter Jenny Kriech, forcing in a run from third and surrendered another RBI single making the score 4-0 with one out and the bases loaded. Coach Carol Bruggeman lifted Crouse in favor of senior Crystal Inman who fared no better, surrendering a bases clearing triple to the first batter she faced. All totaled the Irish sent 11 hitters to the plate, collecting seven hits before hitting into a double play to end the inning.
Crouse, 3-4 for the season, took the loss for Purdue surrendering the seven runs in 1.1 innings of work, she struck out one and walked none. Offensively, Purdue could only muster two hits off Irish pitching, a double by Heidi Foster and a single by Jessica Jones, both in the fourth.
In the night-cap, the Old Gold and Black staked the Irish to an early 1-0 first inning lead before getting on track, scoring two runs in the top of the second. Back-to-back singles by Jones and Chrissy Davie gave Purdue runners on first and second and nobody out to lead off the inning. Angi Roebke followed with a fielders choice bunt that forced out pinch runner Briana Hensley at third. A Crystal Inman double to the wall in left and a Keely Povlitz sac fly scored Davie and Roembke, respectively, to put Purdue on the board and in the lead 2-1.
The Boilers dodged a bullet in the sixth when right fielder Jenny Kriech led off the bottom of the inning with a double to center. After a sac bunt moved her to third, Purdue starter Meagan Dooley induced the next two Irish hitters to ground out to shortstop Katie Crabtree to end the inning and the Notre Dame threat.
Dooley, 4-5 on the season, picked up the win tossing seven complete innings, surrendering the lone run unearned, inducing 14 Irish hitters to ground out. Roembke finished the game 2-for-3 offensively with a run scored and a stolen base.
The Boilermakers will return to West Lafayette to host the Boilermaker Invitational March 25-26.